PRETTY MUCH EVERY game the Republic of Ireland women’s national team play these days is billed as arguably the biggest game in their history.
But this one surely beats all.
The enormity of tonight’s historic World Cup play-off against Scotland at Hampden Park [KO 8pm, live on RTÉ 2] is hard to encapsulate.
But Vera Pauw, Katie McCabe and co. certainly go some way in doing so by making no effort to play down its significance.
This is a special group on the cusp of something seismic.
On the brink of etching their own names into history by reaching a first-ever major tournament.
“If we succeed, it would change lives,” as Pauw deadpanned yesterday.
Monumental. Momentous. Defining.
It’s do or die, nothing but a win ensuring the show goes on. (It’s not as straightforward as victory guaranteeing direct qualification, though; of tonight’s three play-off winners, the two with the highest ranking points — based on group qualifying and this evening’s games: three points for a win in 120 minutes, one for a penalty shoot-out success — secure those golden tickets, while the other heads for inter-confederation play-offs in New Zealand in February. That is Ireland’s most likely route barring Iceland or Switzerland slip up.)
The Scots, 23rd in Fifa’s world rankings, three places above Ireland, are firm favourites after their scalp of Austria last week — and likely, their more regular major tournament experience.
“We know where we stand and we know that Scotland is favoured in the game,” Pauw said. “I’m not surprised. They went to the European Championships. They went to the World Cup.
“They are at home and it is their second game at home in a week, they have the crowd behind them. So that sums it all up. It is what it is. We will be absolutely ready in our capacities and we will see if it’s good enough. We know where we stand. We are realistic. We are very realistic.”
That’s a mantra the manager lives by, repeatedly using it.
Likewise with references to the growth of the team.
It’s been a case of so close, yet so far in previous campaigns, the most recent European Championship near-miss particularly galling. That heartbreaking defeat away to Ukraine was the final nail in the coffin, a dreadfully disappointing draw in Greece earlier on in the bid meaning they were up against it.
Pauw stressed continuous growth and improvement through a string of friendly defeats to higher-ranked opposition afterwards, the team learning to cope with pressure — on and off the pitch — the hard way.
It all appears to have paid dividends: two wins over second seeds Finland and a draw away to heavyweights Sweden en route to finishing second in their group epitomising this team’s progression.
“They are all massive games and I think having played in those pressure games, where they are must wins, we are used to it,” McCabe explained. “We can’t replicate what is going to happen, but it will be similar to those pressure situations.”
“We have the identity in how we play,” the Arsenal star added. “We have a structure and a style that we believe in and that we give 100% with. Yeah, it might not be the prettiest at times but we understand our jobs and our roles within what that organisation is.
“And I think having that identity really gives us the confidence to go out and back ourselves in these situations. Yeah, we’ve done it in previous games but that doesn’t mean anything any more. We have to do it again.”
That identity, structure and style is perhaps best seen through the calmness around the current injury situation: Ireland will be without one of their top stars in Megan Connolly, with Jess Ziu, Ruesha Littlejohn, Leanne Kiernan and Ellen Molloy among other big-name absentees. In the past, there may have been major alarm bells or panic buttons, almost accepting defeat before a ball was even kicked, but now, it’s just seen as opportunity. Someone else will come in and do a job.
A crowd of 10,000 or so is expected at Hampden tonight, with plenty of travelling support due to make the short trip. Irish fans hailing from Tallaght Town AFC were in full voice and colour at Glasgow Airport yesterday.
Full of confidence and belief.
Dare we say outbelieving, to use Sky’s phrase.
With growth and success comes pressure and expectation, but Pauw is quick to temper those.
She’s also snappy to stamp out any negativity creeping into the camp, a certain question on the room for error in a tight, tense affair like tonight’s shot down.
Perhaps the Ireland of old. Not this one.
“It’s about knowing what you can and what you cannot do,” the manager concluded. “And it is building that into team work and then just going for it. We keep it as simple as that.
“We know the nation is behind us and that everybody is proud of us. We know that we are here, and that whatever we show, I know that the nation will be proud of it. We will see at the end where we stand. We are realistic but we will give our all.”
At the end of the day, that’s all one can give.
Regardless of all else.