THE BIGGEST GAME in the the history of Irish women’s football.
Several fixtures have fit the bill in recent years, but this one tops all.
This is not only Ireland’s World Cup debut, but their first-ever appearance at a major tournament.
And against the co-hosts at a sold-out Stadium Australia.
You couldn’t write it.
From Tallaght to Australia; Liberty Hall to Olympic Park, Sydney; this has been some journey. And far from straightforward. Highs, lows, ups, downs and no shortage of off-field controversy. But now.
“The crown of my career,” as Vera Pauw puts it.
Not alone hers.
Think of Katie McCabe, captaining her country out to over 75,000 fans as her star and stock continues to rise. Think of Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey and the other veterans who probably never thought this would happen. Think of Chloe Mustaki and Sinéad Farrelly and their remarkable stories. Think of Denise O’Sullivan, whose World Cup dream was hanging by a thread just six days ago.
Think of those left behind. Think of those that went before. Think of those who will follow, and what this will do for the game back home.
A nation holds its breath. Their Italia 90.
“There is no fear,” Pauw insists. “It is the most amazing thing we have ever experienced in our lives. Just embrace it. We want this and we are going to go for it.”
The biggest games in their history up to this point have instilled that belief, that fearlessness.
Helsinki. Gothenburg. Glasgow.
They outbelieve, to borrow a somewhat cringey but fitting slogan from their sponsor Sky.
Many of those involved point to September 2021 as a turning point for this team.
After the gut-wrenching low of Kiev, and failure to qualify for the 2022 European Championships, Ireland tested themselves against a raft of higher-ranked opposition. They ended a run of seven consecutive defeats when they beat Australia — as luck would have it — 3-2 in a friendly before the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Pauw and her side know it would be a “big, big mistake” to dwell on that result, but it was a significant scalp. And it came after a string of positive developments: the landmark equal pay deal, the Sky and Cadbury’s sponsorships, and other boosts in the domestic league.
Shortly afterwards, the Dutch coach christened the team ‘Tigers’.
“I just said it because wow,” she recalls. “They were just fighting for each other, they get in and they were getting to their prey without losing themselves; they were in control.”
Now, they go into the Lions’ Den. Where Sonia O’Sullivan won silver at the 2000 Olympics, the same night as home hero Cathy Freeman triumphed.
“Have we ever collapsed under the pressure? Indeed, this is of the max. We played Sweden away in a full stadium, Finland away in a full stadium, Scotland away after only three days when we knew we had to play there — it wasn’t a full stadium, but everyone was against us, right? Under huge pressure.
“Did we collapse at any point? Why would we collapse now?”
Australia are formidable opposition. They’re up there with the favourites to triumph outright. A host nation has never won the Women’s World Cup, but they’ve rarely slipped up in an opener. Only three debutants have ever advanced beyond the group stages at the first attempt.
Tony Gustavsson’s Matildas are on a high after recent friendly wins over France and England, with Chelsea superstar Sam Kerr their captain and poster girl. They’re fluid and flexible, and attack with unpredictability. They generally play a 4-4-2 and find joy in the wide areas, with Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso and Courtnee Vine among their biggest threats. Steph Catley and Katrina Gorry are other big names.
But Ireland have plenty of their own: McCabe and O’Sullivan are the world-class duo in a set-up prided on defence. 5-4-1 is the system; the staring team most likely to be as follows: Brosnan; Payne, Quinn, Fahey, Connolly, McCabe; Farrelly, O’Sullivan, Littlejohn, Sheva; Carusa. It’s far from pretty football, but it’s a tried and tested method built on sheer hard work. And they thrive off being the underdog.
Perhaps there’s a message for people tuning into this team for the first time today?
“People need to realise in women’s football that the rate of development of the various countries are very stretched,” Pauw responds.
“[Australia] have been at every single World Cup [minus the first one in 1991], they have built a squad for 25 years. We have also started 20 years ago too, of course, but with slower steps because they were at a World Cup. And now you can see what qualification for a World Cup can mean for the development of the game in a country. And we did not have that wind at our back before, because we did not qualify before.
“So they had that development, individually and collectively, and their experience of playing these tournaments. So people need to put into perspective that if we cannot get out of our half, that doesn’t mean we don’t want to get out of our half, it is because the opponent is so incredibly strong.”
The biggest game in the history of Irish women’s football.
A crowning moment, no matter what happens.
And much more to follow.
Time to create history and leave a legacy, as Katie McCabe put it best.
Australia v Ireland, Fifa Women’s World Cup, KO 11am Irish time / 8pm local time, live on RTÉ 2.