- Emma Duffy reports from Tallaght Stadium
KATIE MCCABE ISN’T entirely sure what she did at the final whistle, the moment Ireland’s World Cup dream officially hit new heights with an historic play-off spot secured.
There’s that already-iconic photograph of her with Denise O’Sullivan, the emotion of it all captured beautifully, but it’s all a bit of a blur to the Ireland captain.
“I think I fell to the floor,” McCabe tells The42. “I don’t even know what I did. I think I just went, ‘Oh my God!’ It was just relief. I’ve been working so hard for this since I came in six years ago. There are people who have been here bloody 12 years longer than me: Áine O’Gorman, Niamh Fahey, Louise Quinn, Diane Caldwell…
“It’s such a moment, even for past players that were watching us in the crowd. We met Paula [Gorham] and Linda [Gorman] in the week, two WNT legends and we’re doing it for them. They paved the way for us and for us to say we’ve reached a World Cup play-off is an amazing feeling.
“But it’s just another step, we’re not quite there yet but we’ll enjoy the moment because we’ve never done it before.”
And doing it at Tallaght Stadium, not far from her home in Kilnmanagh surely made it that little bit more magical. Family and friends in the crowd, including her 10 siblings — “I was asking for about 35 tickets,” the Arsenal star laughs.
An unforgettable moment shared with her nearest and dearest.
“I ran over and gave my Ma a big hug,” she smiles. “I was so happy to see my family there them cheering us on. I used to roam about The Square [shopping centre] over there when I was younger so to get to a World Cup play-off just a stone’s throw away from my house is a pretty special feeling.”
Before the interview — the last of many — began, in true Irish fashion, McCabe let out a big, ‘Jeeeesus!‘ as she tried to comprehend what had just occurred: a 1-0 win over Finland etching her side’s names into the history books forevermore.
But always a top professional, she reined herself back in, not giving away too much in the first few minutes.
“I’m in disbelief, to be honest. I can and I can’t believe we’ve done it. I knew tonight was our night, having such a good squad, having some key players back in, it was unfortunate to miss Niamh Fahey, but we’ve done it for her, and we’ve got our names in the hat for a few weeks time for the play-offs.
“I don’t know who we’ll draw but we’ve given oursleves the best chance possible to get there. For me, yes play-offs, but I’m thinking Slovakia on Tuesday night. We’ll recover tonight and tomorrow, dissect the game, see where we can improve and look to finish this campaign on a high.”
As she typically does, the skipper offered plenty of insight on the game itself: how the start may have looked nervy, but Ireland were pretty calm as they figured out Finland’s set-up, how it frustrated them at times but they did enough, and then the much-improved second half as Lily Agg’s 54th-minute header sealed the win.
McCabe said she “felt good” tonight, despite still being in pre-season with the Gooners ahead of the new Women’s Super League campaign. “I felt fit, but obviously not as sharp as you’re going to be mid-season. I would have liked to get on the ball a bit more tonight but I was happy to just defend and we got the win.”
The 26-year-old won’t think too much into the “tricky” play-offs until after Ireland’s final Group A game in Senec on Tuesday. “I just want to focus on Slovakia and want to finish this campaign with another three points and maximize our chances then when we get to a play-off. I’ll be praying for a home draw, but we’ll see what happens.”
One to always speak about “that extra edge” on home soil, McCabe has been Team Tallaght through all the calls for a move to the Aviva Stadium. A record attendance of 6,952 watched on last night, with the Dubliner speaking glowingly of the support.
“Yeah, look, that’s what I want — before we go talking about Avivas and everything else, I want to pack out Tallaght Stadium game after game. You can see the atmosphere it creates, it’s unbelievable. You’ve got the fans on top of the players, really cheering us on.
“You can see it the last four minutes, the board goes up and they just erupt and give you that extra bit of strength and energy to keep going. You forget about your cramp or whatever, you just keep running for them. That’s what I love about Tallaght Stadium and that’s why it’s our home.”
One for the road as the interview comes to a close: There’s bigger things at play, but what about a potential glamour friendly at the Lansdowne Road venue against USA or England?
“I don’t mind that,” she laughs. “I’ve already tried to speak to Beth Mead [Arsenal team-mate and England star] about that and arrange a friendly for November. She loved it, so we need to make it happen.
“It would be a dream to play at the Aviva. We know Tallaght Stadium inside and out. It has been our home for the last six-and-a-half years since I have been here. So I don’t know why we would want to familiarise ourselves with something else on such a big occasion.
“I don’t mind playing in the Aviva in a showcase game against the USA, England or whoever it might be. But to change venues in the middle of a qualifying campaign is a no for me.”
