AFTER A SECOND heavy defeat to USA in three days, Ireland boss Carla Ward spoke about “dangerously hot” conditions in Cinicinatti.
Temperatures soared over 30 degrees as the depleted Girls In Green shipped another 4-0 drubbing yesterday. They lost on the same scoreline at altitude in Denver.
Anna Patten also blasted the “ridiculous” heat and humidity after another difficult outing against the world number one, who were also understrength.
“I actually don’t think words can describe it,” Patten told RTÉ. “To play with only a two-day break against the quality of players they have, in that temperature at this time of day, to be honest, it’s a bit ridiculous.”
The defender gave an insight into how hard it was to play in it, with high heart-rates unable to drop as bodies were overworked. Players were “unwell” and “begging to come off,” Ward explained, giving the sideline perspective.
“On 22 minutes, there were a couple of players asking to come off. We couldn’t make those changes,” she told Tony O’Donoghue.
“Then, at half time, we unfortunately had three enforced changes physically, due to fatigue, and a couple of them were unwell at half time. Even through the second half, players (were) almost begging to come off and we couldn’t do anything about it.”
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Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan, Megan Campbell, Aoife Mannion, Leanne Kiernan and Heather Payne were among the Irish absentees due to unavailability and injury. Others who travelled were on limited minutes, the overwhelming majority out of season.
While Ward has talked up the merits of the trip, most will feel that it was a rather pointless endeavour. The timing was challenging, with the Championship contingent out of action since late April. The WSL finished on 10 May. Bar the NWSL and League of Ireland players, most have been holidaying and recharging the batteries in recent weeks after long, tough seasons.
This was always going to be a mismatch, made more so by the loss of key Irish players, particularly star duo McCabe and O’Sullivan. The US were also down some big names, with Emma Hayes opting to rest all bar one of her European-based crew, Chelsea’s million dollar defender Naomi Girma. But a young, domestic selection — all in season — made their mark, eager to impress and secure their future with the serial winners.
Alyssa Thompson, Olivia Moultrie and Emma Sears were among those to dazzle across the double-header; Ireland outplayed and outmuscled twice, the gulf in class as wide as it has ever been.
Albeit in very different circumstances, Ireland’s pre-World Cup friendlies Stateside two years ago finished 2-0 and 1-0. Along with the same result in 2008 at Giants Stadium, a one-goal loss is as good as it has ever gotten in an abysmal record of friendlies in the US: 17 meetings, 17 defeats, 59 goals conceded, one scored.
The US celebrate a goal. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
While the games themselves are tricky to assess, and won’t be read into too much, it has all added to a sense of drift. 2025 has been testing: that much was inevitable after the Euros qualification heartbreak, the raft of retirements, and a change of management. The Nations League group campaign was a mixed bag, the 4-0 Slovenia shocker hugely disappointing.
Right now, it’s hard to see that these friendlies, the first of Ward’s reign, have done more good than harm. While they will point to the opportunity of playing against one of the best teams in women’s football, the Nations League promotion/relegation playoff against Belgium in October is the next big focus, and this didn’t seem like appropriate preparation. Granted, when initial plans were in place, Ireland likely held aspirations of automatic promotion.
Still, there must have been scope for experimentation and blooding new players, such as the U19 Euros stars of last summer, as 2027 World Cup qualifying looms large. Ellen Molloy, Hayley Nolan and Izzy Atkinson were the only different, yet familiar, faces in the squad; all used sparingly. Erin McLaughlin and US-born Dee Bradley were called up mid-camp; neither featured. The back-up goalkeepers remained unused.
Ward deployed a 4-5-1 formation for the most part — Chloe Mustaki getting a real chance at left-back in the absence of McCabe and Campbell, Jessie Stapleton again covering on the right amidst a lack of options — but reverted to a back three/five for Sunday’s second half. (Nolan and Lucy Quinn played out of their preferred positions.)
While we at home didn’t learn much from the exercises, that was one on-field positive the manager pointed to in her TV interview. “We’ve looked at two different systems, we’ve looked at two different ways of playing. We’ve added a couple of other layers to what we want to try and do.
“I think overall as a camp, it’s been a powerful one in terms of learning and educating in various ways.”
Sometimes, the benefit of these trips — and difficult games — are seen only in hindsight.
Soundings from the camp were positive through a whistle-stop tour, the social media dispatches underlining a tight-knit squad bonding further.
Right now, it might seem pointless and meaningless, but the hope is that further spirit has developed and that the extended period together has been purposeful on the training pitch and in the classroom.
The Belgium playoff is almost four months away, 116 days to be precise, but it will roll around quickly. The Red Flames, in Euro 2025 action over the coming weeks as Ireland watch from afar, will bring plenty more heat.
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Carla Ward's Ireland feel the heat during Stateside slog
AFTER A SECOND heavy defeat to USA in three days, Ireland boss Carla Ward spoke about “dangerously hot” conditions in Cinicinatti.
Temperatures soared over 30 degrees as the depleted Girls In Green shipped another 4-0 drubbing yesterday. They lost on the same scoreline at altitude in Denver.
Anna Patten also blasted the “ridiculous” heat and humidity after another difficult outing against the world number one, who were also understrength.
“I actually don’t think words can describe it,” Patten told RTÉ. “To play with only a two-day break against the quality of players they have, in that temperature at this time of day, to be honest, it’s a bit ridiculous.”
The defender gave an insight into how hard it was to play in it, with high heart-rates unable to drop as bodies were overworked. Players were “unwell” and “begging to come off,” Ward explained, giving the sideline perspective.
“On 22 minutes, there were a couple of players asking to come off. We couldn’t make those changes,” she told Tony O’Donoghue.
“Then, at half time, we unfortunately had three enforced changes physically, due to fatigue, and a couple of them were unwell at half time. Even through the second half, players (were) almost begging to come off and we couldn’t do anything about it.”
Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan, Megan Campbell, Aoife Mannion, Leanne Kiernan and Heather Payne were among the Irish absentees due to unavailability and injury. Others who travelled were on limited minutes, the overwhelming majority out of season.
While Ward has talked up the merits of the trip, most will feel that it was a rather pointless endeavour. The timing was challenging, with the Championship contingent out of action since late April. The WSL finished on 10 May. Bar the NWSL and League of Ireland players, most have been holidaying and recharging the batteries in recent weeks after long, tough seasons.
This was always going to be a mismatch, made more so by the loss of key Irish players, particularly star duo McCabe and O’Sullivan. The US were also down some big names, with Emma Hayes opting to rest all bar one of her European-based crew, Chelsea’s million dollar defender Naomi Girma. But a young, domestic selection — all in season — made their mark, eager to impress and secure their future with the serial winners.
Alyssa Thompson, Olivia Moultrie and Emma Sears were among those to dazzle across the double-header; Ireland outplayed and outmuscled twice, the gulf in class as wide as it has ever been.
Albeit in very different circumstances, Ireland’s pre-World Cup friendlies Stateside two years ago finished 2-0 and 1-0. Along with the same result in 2008 at Giants Stadium, a one-goal loss is as good as it has ever gotten in an abysmal record of friendlies in the US: 17 meetings, 17 defeats, 59 goals conceded, one scored.
While the games themselves are tricky to assess, and won’t be read into too much, it has all added to a sense of drift. 2025 has been testing: that much was inevitable after the Euros qualification heartbreak, the raft of retirements, and a change of management. The Nations League group campaign was a mixed bag, the 4-0 Slovenia shocker hugely disappointing.
Right now, it’s hard to see that these friendlies, the first of Ward’s reign, have done more good than harm. While they will point to the opportunity of playing against one of the best teams in women’s football, the Nations League promotion/relegation playoff against Belgium in October is the next big focus, and this didn’t seem like appropriate preparation. Granted, when initial plans were in place, Ireland likely held aspirations of automatic promotion.
Still, there must have been scope for experimentation and blooding new players, such as the U19 Euros stars of last summer, as 2027 World Cup qualifying looms large. Ellen Molloy, Hayley Nolan and Izzy Atkinson were the only different, yet familiar, faces in the squad; all used sparingly. Erin McLaughlin and US-born Dee Bradley were called up mid-camp; neither featured. The back-up goalkeepers remained unused.
Ward deployed a 4-5-1 formation for the most part — Chloe Mustaki getting a real chance at left-back in the absence of McCabe and Campbell, Jessie Stapleton again covering on the right amidst a lack of options — but reverted to a back three/five for Sunday’s second half. (Nolan and Lucy Quinn played out of their preferred positions.)
While we at home didn’t learn much from the exercises, that was one on-field positive the manager pointed to in her TV interview. “We’ve looked at two different systems, we’ve looked at two different ways of playing. We’ve added a couple of other layers to what we want to try and do.
Sometimes, the benefit of these trips — and difficult games — are seen only in hindsight.
Soundings from the camp were positive through a whistle-stop tour, the social media dispatches underlining a tight-knit squad bonding further.
Right now, it might seem pointless and meaningless, but the hope is that further spirit has developed and that the extended period together has been purposeful on the training pitch and in the classroom.
The Belgium playoff is almost four months away, 116 days to be precise, but it will roll around quickly. The Red Flames, in Euro 2025 action over the coming weeks as Ireland watch from afar, will bring plenty more heat.
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