Republic of Ireland 1-2 Canada
Fine margins denied Ireland a point on their World Cup debut against co-hosts Australia last week.
Now they meet reigning Olympic champions Canada knowing that they need to avoid defeat in order to keep their dream of progressing to the last 16 alive.
Kick-off in Perth is at 1pm Irish time – stay with us here and you won’t miss a moment.
TEAM NEWS: Vera Pauw makes one change to the side beaten 1-0 by Australia last Thursday; Lucy Quinn — who impressed when introduced as a second-half sub — starts, with Marissa Sheva the one to miss out.
Louise Quinn and Heather Payne, both of whom sat out part of yesterday’s final pre-match training session, are both fit to start.
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Heather Payne, Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey, Megan Connolly, Katie McCabe; Sinead Farrelly, Denise O’Sullivan, Ruesha Littlejohn, Lucy Quinn; Kyra Carusa.
TEAM NEWS: The two big notes on the Canadian team from an Irish perspective are that Jessie Fleming, their creative engine, is fit to start having missed the scoreless draw against Nigeria; and that 40-year-old Christine Sinclair, for so long the undisputed star of this Canadian team, is among the substitutes.
Some late breaking news on that Irish starting XI – it appears that Heather Payne will be a late withdrawal from the named team, with Aine O’Gorman the most likely replacement for her.
We’re awaiting definite confirmation on that change, but Payne had heavy strapping on her hamstring during yesterday’s training session, and in the last few minutes, was visibly upset on the sideline in conversation with Vera Pauw and the Irish medical team. That doesn’t look good for her.
Pauw then made her way over to Aine O’Gorman to speak with her and give her a hug. What a massive moment this would be for one of the veterans of this Ireland squad.
That change is now confirmed:
Late change…
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) July 26, 2023
Áine O’Gorman comes in for Heather Payne who felt a tweak in her hamstring during the warm-up.#COYGIG | #OUTBELIEVE pic.twitter.com/1KSXUKfG5r
The teams are in the tunnel in Perth Rectangular Stadium, where the crowd is predominantly Irish. Olé Olé Olé rings out around the ground as the teams come out on to the pitch – Ireland will have huge support behind them here.
As the national anthems play, there’s time for one last read of Emma Duffy’s pre-match preview from Perth:
World-class captain Katie McCabe has featured at left wing-back of late, but the manager has stressed the need to get her further forward.
It’s a huge challenge for Ireland, with a balance to be struck. Stick with the tried and tested, but also let the shackles off and play with a little more freedom. Pauw constantly speaks about being realistic, but this first major tournament can’t end in regret either.
The Girls In Green have not scored in five of their six games in 2023. The stats don’t lie: they have conceded seven and scored zero against higher-ranked opposition (Australia, France and USA twice), despite a promising finish last Thursday.
KICK OFF: Canada get us underway.
1 min – An early test for Aine O’Gorman, who gets caught out at right full, but Niamh Fahey gets across to make the block. At the other end, some good hold up play by Kyra Carusa, linking with Lucy Quinn, but Ireland can’t fashion a meaningful chance.
3 mins – Big opening chance for Ireland! Aine O’Gorman plays it down the right channel to Lucy Quinn, who sends a low inviting cross for Kyra Carusa. Sheridan makes a good save; it’s an Irish corner.
GOAL FOR IRELAND! Republic of Ireland 1-0 Canada (McCabe, 4′)
What a dream start for Ireland — and it’s Katie McCabe straight from the corner!
Ireland came so close from corners against Australia, and it’s paid dividends immediately here. It’s a beautiful inswinger from McCabe’s left boot, dipping over Sheridan’s head and dropping in at the back post.
Ireland have an early breakthrough, and Canada are stunned.
8 mins – Katie McCabe drives at the heart of the Canadian defence and skips into the box. Buchanan dangles a leg — dangerously — as she tries to force McCabe wide, and the Ireland skipper goes down. The referee points for a Canada goal kick, and after a brief moment for the VAR room to confirm that there was no contact on McCabe, we play on.
10 mins – This is a really positive start from Ireland, with McCabe playing higher up the pitch and Canada under pressure. Sinéad Farrelly draws a save from Sheridan at the edge of the box, forcing her to tip a shot around the post for another Irish corner. Here’s McCabe again…
11 mins – McCabe’s corner doesn’t quite have the same height and precision as her first effort, and Evelyne Viens heads it away at the front post.
13 mins – Great hold-up play again by Kyra Carusa, who battles in the corner to retain possession before bringing Sinéad Farrelly into it. Farrelly crosses into the box, but it’s headed clear.
16 mins – Canada’s first shot on target is a rather tame effort from Quinn, which Brosnan gathers easily.
17 mins – Great determination in midfield by Ruesha Littlejohn, who has a right battle there with Jessie Fleming before winning an Irish free. Ireland try to take it quickly to Carusa, but she has strayed offside.
19 mins – Ireland are putting Canada under pressure at every opportunity here. Lucy Quinn plays another searching ball down the right channel, and Carusa chases it down and forces another Irish corner.
20 mins – Megan Connolly takes this one, and Ireland try a training ground routine, playing it back to McCabe who has a different angle to aim for Quinn and Fahey on the penalty spot. It’s a good delivery but Canada clear.
21 mins – A brief break in play here while Canada keeper Kailen Sheridan receives some attention.
Thank you, Andrew Cunneen, for bringing us this work of art:
The Katie McCabe xG graphic we've all been craving, obviously. pic.twitter.com/K7sGDKpVCw
— Andrew Cunneen (@Cunneen92) July 26, 2023
23 mins – Adriana Leon has a chance to cause some problems for Ireland from out wide, but miscues badly and skews her cross behind for a goal kick.
24 mins – Better from Canada, who pounce on a few nervy mistakes in the Irish defence. Ireland can’t clear their lines, and it gives Jordyn Huitema a sight on goal. Brosnan is behind it all the way though and saves comfortably.
25 mins – Ashley Lawrence needs some attention here; Sinéad Farrelly caught her in the face as she tried to shield possession, but the referee waved play on. Buchanan thumps the ball clear from the Canada area before play is finally stopped to allow the treatment.
While we’re waiting, here’s another look at Katie McCabe’s goal that has given Ireland the lead:
Straight from a corner Katie McCabe gives Ireland the lead against Canada with four minutes gone #wwc2023
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 26, 2023
📺Watch https://t.co/2W5kFtUgZE
📻Listen https://t.co/QHSJNYlfx8
📱Follow https://t.co/wLYTuOnlvw pic.twitter.com/PAscA2LWRh
And the view from behind Kailen Sheridan’s goal:
Here is that goal from behind the Canadian goal. Gets better with each viewing #wwc2023
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 26, 2023
📺Watch https://t.co/2W5kFtUgZE
📻Listen https://t.co/QHSJNYlfx8
📱Follow https://t.co/wLYTuOnlvw pic.twitter.com/R4L0yAF8d2
29 mins – Fahey gets her body in between Huitema and the ball, and decides that the best course of action under pressure is to concede the corner.
30 mins – Jessie Fleming takes aim at the front post but McCabe is there to head it away.
30 mins – CANADA’S BEST CHANCE – and they really should have scored here. A deep cross is flicked on by Kadeisha Buchanan in the box, and Vanessa Gilles is on the edge of the six-yard box unmarked. She’s stretching, and gets good contact on it, but is underneath it and steers it over the bar. Big sigh of relief from Ireland there.
33 mins – Jayde Riviere nutmegs McCabe out on the right wing, but Megan Connolly is covering across to sweep up.
35 mins – Ruesha Littlejohn is back in the Irish area to snuff out the latest Canadian threat. Gilles tries to thread a ball through to Huitema but Littlejohn reads it superbly.
36 mins – Better from Ireland as they try to relieve the pressure. Carusa is getting the best of her battle with Buchanan and gets her turned and forces a foul on the halfway line, which sees Buchanan earn the game’s first yellow card.
37 mins – Now it’s Sinéad Farrelly’s turn to try to prise Canada’s defence open. After her hard work, it falls to Denise O’Sullivan who has a go from outside the box, but it’s always high and rising.
41 mins – Kyra Carusa vs Kadeisha Buchanan is a matchup that is playing out very favourably for Ireland at the moment. Again, Carusa gets on the defender’s shoulder, and McCabe’s ball in behind is perfectly weighted. Buchanan knows she can’t afford another foul and is wary of getting too close to Carusa. She hits the target and draws a save from Sheridan, but it was too close to the keeper to really trouble her.
43 mins – After a good spell for Canada, Ireland have started to reassert themselves in the last five or six minutes. A couple of minutes, plus stoppage time, still to play in this first half…
45 mins – Five additional minutes are signalled as Lucy Quinn leads another Irish foray down the right and wins a throw-in, and then Ireland’s fourth corner of the first half.
45+2 mins – As the corner breaks towards the edge of the box, Sinéad Farrelly catches it cleanly. It rebounds off Buchanan — off her arm, the replay shows, but it was across her body when the contact was made — and goes behind for another corner.
That looked like a sore one for Buchanan, who needs a bit of treatment here.
GOAL FOR CANADA! Republic of Ireland 1-1 Canada (Connolly og, 45+5)
That is cruel for Ireland — and cruel for Megan Connolly. Ireland have been by far the better side in this first half, and it’s a moment of sheer bad luck that will see Canada go in level at the break.
Julia Gross cuts back inside on the left wing and curls a cross into the box. Connolly reaches for it in a crowd of bodies and it takes a nick off her before bobbling past Brosnan and into the far corner.
45+9 mins – We’re still playing additional time as Brosnan comes for a Canada corner, misses it, and Gilles heads wide under pressure from Louise Quinn.
HALF TIME: Republic of Ireland 1-1 Canada
That is, in so many respects, an excellent half of football from Ireland who have made the side ranked seventh in the world look distinctly second-best for large spells.
There is a marked positivity to the Irish play, which was only really apparent in the final 20 minutes against Australia and never yielded dividends, but on the basis of the first half, Ireland can expect to keep creating good chances.
But that late sucker-punch goal is an absolutely brutal reminder of the Canadian threat.
Here’s that Canadian equaliser.
Back in five.
Their first meaningful effort on goal sees Canada level with Ireland as a cross is deflected into the net by Megan Connolly #wwc2023
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 26, 2023
📺Watch https://t.co/2W5kFtUgZE
📻Listen https://t.co/QHSJNYlfx8
📱Follow https://t.co/wLYTuOnlvw pic.twitter.com/UMf4DakXgp
SECOND HALF: We’re back underway in Perth and there are changes on both sides: Abbie Larkin is on to replace Lucy Quinn for Ireland, and for Canada, Christine Sinclair — who, as my colleague David Sneyd pointed out yesterday, was playing at World Cups before Abbie Larkin was born — in on for Evelyne Viens.
Canada have in fact made three changes at the break: Kadeisha Buchanan — who was carrying a yellow card as well as a knock, potentially — is replaced by Shelina Zadorsky; and Julia Grosso is replaced by Sophie Schmidt.
50 mins – Super stop from Brosnan! She’s at full stretch to get a strong hand behind Huitema’s rasper.
51 mins – Abbie Larkin tries to take on Lawrence down the right, and after the Canadian defender wins the first exchange, Larkin does well to win the second. Her pass back into midfield is a bit loose though.
53 mins – Leon has space to run at the Irish goal, and this could be dangerous, but she scuffs her shot badly and it trickles harmlessly through to Brosnan.
GOAL FOR CANADA! Republic of Ireland 1-2 Canada (Leon, 53′)
Canada lead! And having been so impressive in that first half, Ireland now find themselves desperately in need of a goal and staring elimination in the face.
Schmidt, the substitute, found a yard of space drifting back in off the left wing, and split Megan Connolly and Katie McCabe with her cross. Adriana Leon is there to meet it and turns it past Brosnan, who had no chance.
56 mins – Ireland are readying Marissa Sheva to come in here.
58 mins – Substitutions on both sides: Sheva comes on to replace Aine O’Gorman, which could possibly signal a switch to an Irish 4-4-2; and for Canada, the goalscorer Leon is replaced by Cloe Lacasse.
60 mins – Vanessa Gilles is booked for dissent.
63 mins – Sinclair shoots after some good Canada build-up play but, mercifully, it’s straight at Brosnan.
64 mins – OH! Carusa heads over. That would have been a brilliant Ireland equaliser: McCabe did superbly on the left, whipped in a great cross, and Carusa beat Sheridan to it but just got underneath it.
65 mins – Triple Irish sub as Vera Pauw plays her final hand: Amber Barrett, Lily Agg and Izzy Atkinson are all on; Kyra Carusa, Sinéad Farrelly and Ruesha Littlejohn go off.
67 mins – That’s a sitter for Sinclair! Megan Connolly is out of position, Lawrence’s cross drops over her head, and Sinclair shins it to Brosnan rather than getting a clean connection on it.
68 mins – Canada are pressing for a third here to make the game safe but again, Brosnan saves.
69 mins – Sheva picks out Amber Barrett in the Canada area but as she goes to try and trap it, she seems to get caught in two minds and the ball bounces past her.
71 mins – Lawrence is causing Ireland all sorts of problems down the left. Lacasse has a free header from her cross, and really should do a lot better, but misses the target completely.
75 mins – Niamh Fahey decides to take on a shot from 30 yards out but it’s never troubling Sheridan in the Canada goal. Ireland are trying to regain a foothold to put Canada under a bit of pressure in this last quarter of an hour.
79 mins – Katie McCabe is trying to singlehandedly save Ireland’s World Cup. She cuts back inside Lawrence, evades the outstretched leg of Quinn, and then gets her shot away, forcing a save from Sheridan. Ireland corner.
79 mins – The corner comes to nothing, but if Ireland are to equalise, it’ll take moment of inspiration like that one from McCabe.
82 mins – Katie McCabe is not going to go out wondering tonight. She wins the ball back herself and drives to the edge of the Canada area. Denise O’Sullivan is showing on one side, Amber Barrett on the other, but McCabe backs herself and takes the shot, but can’t hit the target.
83 mins – Fahey gives the ball away as she tries to pick out Quinn in an advanced position. Lily Agg concedes the foul on Huitema.
84 mins – Ireland clear, first through Fahey’s head, then through Quinn’s boot. Six minutes plus stoppage time to find an equaliser and stay alive.
87 mins – Super tackle by Fahey, perfectly timed, to deny Huitema after Sinclair’s pass. Canada corner.
88 mins – Huitema goes for precision rather than power with her header. Brosnan saves.
89 mins – Ireland weather another Canadian counter, and then break themselves, but Atkinson’s pass is cut out by the first Canadian defender.
90 mins – Lily Agg has a go from distance but it’s comfortable for Sheridan.
90 mins – There’ll be five additional minutes here. Five minutes for Ireland to find their equaliser.
90+1 mins – Sheva crosses, Louise Quinn rises, but Sheridan claims. Canada will be able to slow things down here.
90+3 mins – Riviere is gone down seeking treatment for cramp. The seconds tick away and so too, you feel, does Ireland’s chance of keeping their World Cup alive until the final group game.
90+4 mins – Canada make the change as Allysha Chapman comes on for Riviera. Ninety seconds, plus whatever else the referee chooses to add…
90+5 mins – Ireland have the ball and time for one last attack…
Gilles heads McCabe’s cross clear. Is that it?
FULL TIME: Republic of Ireland 1-2 Canada
Ireland are eliminated from the World Cup
So that is it – Ireland’s hopes of qualifying from Group B come to an end following back-to-back defeats by two of the world’s top 10 teams.
The only thing left to play for from an Irish perspective will be pride in Monday’s final game against Nigeria.
It was a game that started positively and promisingly for Ireland, but as Canada grew into it and took the lead early in the second half, they imposed themselves on the game and really limited Ireland’s chances.
That’s all from us for now, but stay with us over the rest of the day for lots more reaction and analysis from The 42 team.
Thanks for reading.
