MUST WIN OR must not lose?
While Ireland’s World Cup debut ended in a disappointing defeat, the second bite at the cherry is about keeping their progression hopes alive.
With Group B wide open, Vera Pauw’s side face Canada in Perth [KO 1pm Irish / 8pm local time, live on RTÉ 2] six days after the 1-0 loss to Australia in Sydney.
“We lost the first so we have to win the second,” Vera Pauw told reporters at their Brisbane base over the weekend.
Have to win?
“Well, technically no, but…
“We went into the first game wanting to win it but not losing. Canada is a different team than Australia. They have more flexibility and creativity in their team.”
The Ireland manager was more non-committal on it being a must-win game in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference. “Winning starts with not losing. It’s clear that if we want to go through this group then we need a result,” she said, pointing out that a win leaves Ireland’s fate in their own hands and a draw means dependency on other games.
Must not lose, more so, at Perth Rectangular Stadium where another rainy night is forecast and over 20,000 fans — most of them Irish — are expected.
Do or die, make or break, all the clichés.
Of immediate concern for Ireland is the fitness of Louise Quinn. It’s understood the centurion is available for selection after a foot injury, but whether she will start remains to be seen. Heather Payne also emerged as a doubt at training yesterday, though is also believed to be available.
Uncertainty surrounds the starting XI — and not just because of the injury question marks. There’s talk that Abbie Larkin could start after her impressive cameo against Australia, making this Pauw team much more difficult to predict than usual. One thing is for sure though, we will see no deviation from the defensive set-up — Pauw explaining the need to play five at the back due to “not the quickest defenders”.
World-class captain Katie McCabe has featured at left wing-back of late, but the manager has stressed the need to get her further forward.
It’s a huge challenge for Ireland, with a balance to be struck. Stick with the tried and tested, but also let the shackles off and play with a little more freedom. Pauw constantly speaks about being realistic, but this first major tournament can’t end in regret either.
The Girls In Green have not scored in five of their six games in 2023. The stats don’t lie: they have conceded seven and scored zero against higher-ranked opposition (Australia, France and USA twice), despite a promising finish last Thursday.
“Our issue is getting to the goals of the opponent,” Pauw repeatedly points out. “That is the next step that we need to be concerned about. We all know that we were this close to a fantastic start to this tournament… we know that we belong.
“That is why we play five at the back, go forward and have the guts to do it, have the guts to lose the ball, have the guts to fail. If you don’t have the guts to lose the ball, you will never get there because you always choose safety. And we don’t want you to choose for safety, we want you to choose the conquer the half of the opponent. But we need to be realistic about the pressure that we get.”
Canada, meanwhile, have had similar goalscoring struggles of late. They’ve hit the back of the net in just two of their five competitive games this year, with pressure mounting on the Olympic champions after their 0-0 draw with Nigeria. (They’re sixth in Fifa’s world rankings, with Ireland 22nd and Nigeria 40th).
Manager Bev Priestman spoke about ”putting to bed some of the… you know putting the ball in the back of the net” in her pre-match press conference, with Ashley Lawrence was asked directly about their goal drought.
“We need to continue playing the way we were,” the new Chelsea recruit, who could be set for a huge battle with McCabe, stressed.
“We created opportunities in those games in the final third and we do have the players with the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. It’s not a case of changing things, it’s more continuing to believe in our style, trusting in the process.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Similarly, there are question marks over their XI for tonight’s showdown. There’s a Blues theme to it: Playmaker Jessie Fleming is expected to return from injury in a huge boost, though Kadeisha Buchanan missed training yesterday due to illness.
The legendary Christine Sinclair — the 40-year-old is appearing at her sixth World Cup — could make way for Fleming, having missed a penalty against Nigeria last week. (A goal would have seen her enter the history books as the first player, male or female, to score at six.)
They generally play a 4-4-1-1, with Manchester United’s Adriana Leon leading the line.
“Their biggest threat is their experience,” Pauw explained. “They know how to win games and finals. If Sinclair’s penalty went in, they would have won and it would be a completely different situation for both of us.
“The Olympics in Tokyo went their way. There was luck with results of opponents and everything went their way. Of course Fleming is a huge player for them. Their playing style hasn’t changed and their dangers remain the same. Christine Sinclair is a player who you won’t see for a while and suddenly then she scores.
“We need to find a way to get to their goal.”
That’s the bottom line.
Must not lose, or could it be must win after all?
