THE REPUBLIC OF Ireland’s 2023 Women’s World Cup squad will be announced tomorrow morning.
Vera Pauw is due to speak to the media from their UCD base at 11am, with her final selection to be revealed just beforehand.
The manager will name her final 23 (plus three training players) for Australia, having whittled the number down over the past few days.
With 33 in the mix in recent weeks, Pauw used a 3-2 friendly win over Zambia last Thursday to run the rule over an extended group. She has spoken a lot about “breaking dreams” and making “horrible” decisions in recent weeks and months, with all to be finalised by morning.
Firstly, here’s a look at everyone in the mix in recent weeks.
- Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Unattached), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes)
- Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Áine O’Gorman (Shamrock Rovers), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Claire O’Riordan (Celtic), Megan Campbell (Unattached), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Tara O’Hanlon (Peamount United), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United)
- Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Megan Connolly (Unattached), Ruesha Littlejohn (Unattached), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Isibeal Atkinson (West Ham United), Erin McLaughlin (Peamount United), Sinead Farrelly (Gotham FC), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage)
- Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers), Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Saoirse Noonan (Durham WFC), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit).
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Two of our football writers give us their predictions, and some reasoning behind their decisions, below.
Emma Duffy’s predicted World Cup squad
- Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan, Grace Moloney, Megan Walsh
- Defenders: Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell, Aoife Mannion, Claire O’Riordan, Megan Campbell, Chloe Mustaki, Áine O’Gorman
- Midfielders: Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan, Megan Connolly, Sinead Farrelly, Ruesha Littlejohn, Lily Agg, Lucy Quinn
- Forwards: Heather Payne, Leanne Kiernan, Kyra Carusa, Amber Barrett, Marissa Sheva.
Three training players: Abbie Larkin, Harriet Scott, Ciara Grant.
Pauw has the unenviable task of whittling the squad down. Based on a mixture of the manager’s expected calls and choices against Zambia, along with personal preference, here’s what I have settled on… for now anyway.
With Courtney Brosnan the undisputed number one, the other two WSL goalkeepers are most likely to make the cut. (There has been talk of goalkeeping coach Jan Willem van Ede wanting to bring four for training purposes, but that would be quite contentious.)
There are a lot of borderline calls further down the list, and question marks remain over the fitness of Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell. A shuffling of this pack will be required if one, or neither, make it, with further left-sided cover (Tara O’Hanlon or Izzy Atkinson) required in particular.
Youth and international inexperience is the reasoning behind most of my omissions, with Jamie Finn particularly unlucky, appearing to have fallen out of favour recently. That said, she’s one of many on the edge and could be included in some capacity.
Abbie Larkin, Ciara Grant and Harriet Scott are the training players I have selected as things stand, but any of those could be called upon right up to 19 July. Personally, I would have Larkin in the squad ahead of Marissa Sheva — or possibly Lucy Quinn — but Pauw seems more likely to lean towards the latter. Leanne Kiernan, for me, shades all and could have a big say.
David Sneyd’s predicted World Cup squad:
- Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan, Grace Moloney, Megan Walsh
- Defenders: Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell, Claire O’Riordan, Megan Campbell, Chloe Mustaki, Áine O’Gorman
- Midfielders: Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan, Megan Connolly, Sinead Farrelly, Ruesha Littlejohn, Lily Agg, Jamie Finn, Lucy Quinn
- Forwards: Heather Payne, Leanne Kiernan, Kyra Carusa, Amber Barrett, Abbie Larkin.
Three training players: Aoife Mannion, Izzy Atkinson, Ciara Grant.
The two main concerns in defence are Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell. Given the latter’s experience and, crucially, threat from long throw set-pieces, it would make more sense to take a risk with her.
Mannion only had a leg brace removed this week and travelled to Dublin yesterday after working with the Manchester United medical staff.
However, given how impressive she looked when drafted in, the centre back could still be a crucial player for Pauw’s system.
Perhaps placing her on the training list would provide some breathing space, but then bad fortune elsewhere would be required as she could only be parachuted in if another player is injured before 19 July.
Given the fragility of Mannion, not to mention Campbell, that is why Izzy Atkinson would be required as further back-up on the training list should defensive cover be required.
Abbie Larkin has so much promise and potential that it seems obvious to give the 18-year-old a taste of this World Cup experience.
Marissa Sheva is a firm Pauw favourite, though, so dislodging her could be difficult.
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Now over to you. What do you think Ireland’s World Cup squad will be? Let us know in the comments section below.
