THE SEA OF orange inside Stadion Galgenwaard was uneasy.
Choppy waters, after Katie McCabe had shaken off their boos to slot home a penalty early in the second half to make it 1-1.
It was a questionable decision, with Netherlands goalkeeper Lize Kop adjudged to have fouled Anna Patten, but Ireland had a lifeline.
A slice of fortune, but too often through the years they haven’t had the rub of the green.
McCabe’s 33rd international goal on her 103rd cap had Irish fans – especially the 200 or so in the corner of the stadium – believing this could be One Of Those Nights.
Nine years ago, they held Netherlands to a 0-0 draw in these parts when they were European champions.
Nijmegen, Gothenburg, Glasgow, Leuven. Would Utrecht join the list?
So close yet so far against France in Tallaght midweek, could Carla Ward’s side get a result against another European giant to spark their 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign to life?
***
When Lineth Beerensteyn turned home 20 minutes in, the 15,000 or so expectant home fans erupted. They had been held to a 2-2 draw by Poland in their opener, the pressure was on.
Ireland’s bright start was chalked off in an instant: combination play down the left, a superb pass from Lynn Wilms which exposed the defence, before Beerensteyn pounced at the back post.
Ireland were gasping for air in an orange cauldron — the absence of the injured Denise O’Sullivan glaring — and could have trailed 2-0 at the break but for Courtney Brosnan.
It was loud and boisterous, the stadium DJ playing the hits including Dutch football anthems ‘Wij Houden Van Oranje’ (an adaptation of Auld Lang Syne) and ’Links Rechts,’ which McCabe and her Arsenal teammates danced to with the Champions League trophy last year.
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The Irish captain – walking a suspension tightrope on a yellow card – rallied the troops at the break, and typically led the fightback.
It was her floating delivery which Patten and Kop battled for after another rare spell of Irish pressure.
Olé, olé rang out after she celebrated arms outstretched; the goal liberating Ireland and further chances followed. There was a sense that they could even nick a winner.
But Beerensteyn struck the killer blow in the 82nd minute, frustratingly from a corner, which Ireland pride themselves on defending.
The rewatch will pain them; sloppy and scrappy and sickening.
While Irish players wandered aimlessly after the whistle, the Dutch celebrations were buoyed by 16 of their former internationals being honoured on the pitch.
It was a strange end to it all from an Irish perspective, to say the least.
***
Football was in focus from the moment The 42 landed in Utrecht on Thursday evening.
A man in football boots pottered through the central station, presumably after training or a game, while around the next corner, we ran into a Bohemians Fontaines DC jersey.
Utrecht FC stickers had been slapped on poles around the vicinity, and an entertaining exchange followed with a confused receptionist upon arrival to the hotel.
“Are you here on holiday? Or here for work?” he asked.
“Work,” we responded, adding that Ireland were playing the Netherlands.
“Oh wow. What position do you play?”
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“Eh… journalist?”
Utrecht is a beautiful city, built on tree-lined canals with bicycles the main mode of transport. The 2015 Tour de France started here, with monuments in the cycle lanes.
A short train journey from Amsterdam, its centre is full of gothic architecture, with the Dom Tower looming overhead. It is a quiet and chilled university hub, but there are atmospheric pockets with narrow, cobbled streets lined with buzzy bars.
One Irish establishment, Mick O’Connell’s, was kept rather busy across the weekend. It was full for Ireland’s Six Nations rugby win over Wales on Friday night, and hosted the prematch build-up the following afternoon as fans and family mixed.
Stadion Galgenwaard – the home of FC Utrecht – and the KNVB campus were two fine offices to spend the day before the game.
Carla Ward and Megan Connolly set out their stall at the former, before Ireland trained in welcome sunshine. The vibes were good despite the seismic loss of O’Sullivan, who resurfaced at the game as a spectator.
O'Sullivan at the game. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The Dutch press conference was at the impressive KNVB campus some distance outside the city.
Amidst its slew of manicured pitches lies a golf course. A bright orange under-road passing brings you to the administrative buildings and a team hotel, which regularly hosts the football, hockey and netball sides.
The circle of statues of Dutch heroes like Denis Bergkamp, Edwin van der Sar and Sarina Wiegman is striking.
Back at Stadion Galgenwaard, the words etched on one of Utrecht owner Frans van Seumeren seemed fitting.
’No guts, no glory.’
Ireland showed plenty of guts and grit, but glory continues to elude them.
Onto Gdansk next month, and a decisive double-header against Poland.
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Letter from Utrecht: Guts, no glory as Ireland denied famous result
THE SEA OF orange inside Stadion Galgenwaard was uneasy.
Choppy waters, after Katie McCabe had shaken off their boos to slot home a penalty early in the second half to make it 1-1.
It was a questionable decision, with Netherlands goalkeeper Lize Kop adjudged to have fouled Anna Patten, but Ireland had a lifeline.
A slice of fortune, but too often through the years they haven’t had the rub of the green.
McCabe’s 33rd international goal on her 103rd cap had Irish fans – especially the 200 or so in the corner of the stadium – believing this could be One Of Those Nights.
Nine years ago, they held Netherlands to a 0-0 draw in these parts when they were European champions.
Nijmegen, Gothenburg, Glasgow, Leuven. Would Utrecht join the list?
So close yet so far against France in Tallaght midweek, could Carla Ward’s side get a result against another European giant to spark their 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign to life?
***
When Lineth Beerensteyn turned home 20 minutes in, the 15,000 or so expectant home fans erupted. They had been held to a 2-2 draw by Poland in their opener, the pressure was on.
Ireland’s bright start was chalked off in an instant: combination play down the left, a superb pass from Lynn Wilms which exposed the defence, before Beerensteyn pounced at the back post.
Ireland were gasping for air in an orange cauldron — the absence of the injured Denise O’Sullivan glaring — and could have trailed 2-0 at the break but for Courtney Brosnan.
It was loud and boisterous, the stadium DJ playing the hits including Dutch football anthems ‘Wij Houden Van Oranje’ (an adaptation of Auld Lang Syne) and ’Links Rechts,’ which McCabe and her Arsenal teammates danced to with the Champions League trophy last year.
The Irish captain – walking a suspension tightrope on a yellow card – rallied the troops at the break, and typically led the fightback.
It was her floating delivery which Patten and Kop battled for after another rare spell of Irish pressure.
Olé, olé rang out after she celebrated arms outstretched; the goal liberating Ireland and further chances followed. There was a sense that they could even nick a winner.
But Beerensteyn struck the killer blow in the 82nd minute, frustratingly from a corner, which Ireland pride themselves on defending.
The rewatch will pain them; sloppy and scrappy and sickening.
While Irish players wandered aimlessly after the whistle, the Dutch celebrations were buoyed by 16 of their former internationals being honoured on the pitch.
It was a strange end to it all from an Irish perspective, to say the least.
***
Football was in focus from the moment The 42 landed in Utrecht on Thursday evening.
A man in football boots pottered through the central station, presumably after training or a game, while around the next corner, we ran into a Bohemians Fontaines DC jersey.
Utrecht FC stickers had been slapped on poles around the vicinity, and an entertaining exchange followed with a confused receptionist upon arrival to the hotel.
“Are you here on holiday? Or here for work?” he asked.
“Work,” we responded, adding that Ireland were playing the Netherlands.
“Oh wow. What position do you play?”
“Eh… journalist?”
Utrecht is a beautiful city, built on tree-lined canals with bicycles the main mode of transport. The 2015 Tour de France started here, with monuments in the cycle lanes.
A short train journey from Amsterdam, its centre is full of gothic architecture, with the Dom Tower looming overhead. It is a quiet and chilled university hub, but there are atmospheric pockets with narrow, cobbled streets lined with buzzy bars.
One Irish establishment, Mick O’Connell’s, was kept rather busy across the weekend. It was full for Ireland’s Six Nations rugby win over Wales on Friday night, and hosted the prematch build-up the following afternoon as fans and family mixed.
Stadion Galgenwaard – the home of FC Utrecht – and the KNVB campus were two fine offices to spend the day before the game.
Carla Ward and Megan Connolly set out their stall at the former, before Ireland trained in welcome sunshine. The vibes were good despite the seismic loss of O’Sullivan, who resurfaced at the game as a spectator.
The Dutch press conference was at the impressive KNVB campus some distance outside the city.
Amidst its slew of manicured pitches lies a golf course. A bright orange under-road passing brings you to the administrative buildings and a team hotel, which regularly hosts the football, hockey and netball sides.
The circle of statues of Dutch heroes like Denis Bergkamp, Edwin van der Sar and Sarina Wiegman is striking.
Back at Stadion Galgenwaard, the words etched on one of Utrecht owner Frans van Seumeren seemed fitting.
’No guts, no glory.’
Ireland showed plenty of guts and grit, but glory continues to elude them.
Onto Gdansk next month, and a decisive double-header against Poland.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
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