FOR MOST, MARISSA Sheva was a left-field inclusion in the first Republic of Ireland women’s squad of this historic World Cup year.
Aoife Mannion was the other new recruit, but the England youth international’s involvement was widely expected having been name-checked by Vera Pauw recently. US-born Sheva was more of an unknown quantity.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder plays for Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League [NWSL] and qualifies for the Girls In Green through her grandparents.
“Her whole heart is with Ireland,” Pauw noted last week, explaining how Sheva set the wheels in motion herself and originally approached the manager, having previously featured for USA U15 and U16 teams and attended one senior training camp.
Now, she’s part of a 26-strong squad on an Irish one in Marbella, which concludes with an international friendly against China PR next Wednesday. They’ll also play an uncapped game against Germany behind closed doors tomorrow.
It’s been an interesting voyage for the Philadelphia native, to say the very least.
“It’s been very exciting,” Sheva enthuses. “I’m so happy to be here finally. I feel like it’s been a little bit of a journey and process to get my passport and be eligible for camp.
“My grandfather was really insistent on making sure I had my citizenship. We started that process at the beginning of 2021, I think, which definitely tested my patience!
“I reached out to Vera last summer, just to kind of see how the squad was looking and to see if there’d be any opportunities to come into a camp.
“I waited a while to tell my family and my extended family that the opportunity was coming because I knew that they would be so excited. My grandfather has been burning up the phone lines I’ve been told, talking to everybody. Family is very, very excited.”
Reporting for duty 🇮🇪 #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/RUWJjzL4Sr
— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) February 13, 2023
Her granddad, John McCaul, hails from Tyrone, while her grandmother, Kathleen Cassidy, has roots in Mountcharles, Donegal.
A trip to these shores with the former, and the Irish-American community in Philly, helped strengthen the connection.
“I didn’t get to visit much as a kid but my grandfather took me over for my High School graduation and I think I touched every corner of the country. He took me on a massive tour and really I just fell in love and I’m eager to go back.
“Soccer made that kind of tough growing up, but my grandparents and parents did an incredible job making me really proud of my Irish roots and keeping us involved in the Irish-American community. It really felt like a second home of sorts when we would go to events at the Irish Society of Greater Philadelphia or the Donegal Society.”
Pennsylvania was where Sheva’s career really took off. She pitched up at Penn State University in 2015, playing four seasons while studying Security Risk Analysis.
Interestingly, she also juggled her football commitments with athletics at a high level.
“I grew up running as competitively as I was playing soccer so when I got to collegiate level I didn’t really want to make a decision,” she explains. “Luckily I had coaches that supported me doing both, which I think ended up benefiting me on the pitch.
“I mostly ran the 1500m and 3000m steeplechase because it requires a little bit more athleticism than just linear running. My soccer background led me into that event. I don’t do much competitive running anymore but I definitely still have my endurance base which I think helps.”
That’s clearly evident from video clips anyway. It’s fair to say Sheva is an offensive-minded player, but she’s similarly comfortable in a more defensive wing-back role.
Her NWSL background is of huge benefit alongside her versatility and athleticism, the former Utah Royals FC and Spanish top-flight player believes, particularly as she opens this new chapter.
“Even with some of the girls here, we’ve been chatting about the differences between American football and European football. I just think the game in the States right now is very athletic and there’s a really big emphasis on direct play, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, and just a lot of athleticism.
“That’s something that I’m accustomed to, and I think the international game is starting to get a little bit faster, more athletic, so I think having some experience in that regard could maybe bring some benefit to the squad here.”
Sheva has crossed paths with quite a few Irish internationals Stateside, including “rockstar” Denise O’Sullivan and and “awesome” Washington team-mate Nicole Douglas, the former underage star recently drafted by Spirit.
There, the pair play alongside rising US star Trinity Rodman — daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis — and work under Mark Krikorian, the club’s president and general manager who previously coached Megan Campbell and Megan Connolly at Florida State University.
“He was very excited for me. He only learned about it recently. I told him about the official call-up when we were in [a pre-season] camp in Florida. He was running down the list of incredible Irish players he’s recruited in the past. He’s eager to hear how it goes.”
From club pre-season to the thick of an ultra-competitive international squad, Sheva is taking it all in her stride.
She’s been impressed with the standard in Spain thus far, and knows exactly what she needs to do going forward.
“The intensity has been amazing, the level is incredible. It feels very similar to training sessions back home, which I did expect, I know the talent on this team is just incredible. It’s been a good challenge so far, and I think it will continue to be a good challenge to see if I can make any impact within the squad.
“It comes down to proving myself on the field, off the field, showing both the girls and the staff how much I want to be here. Let them make the decision on their own, if they think I deserve a spot and would be a good fit. This team has done such an incredible job over the past few years to really build up to this moment and qualify for a World Cup. To even be eligible and thought of to be brought in for a camp is a huge honour.”
Marissa Sheva called up to Ireland Women’s National Team!https://t.co/GzHTgZSDGI
— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) February 10, 2023
The World Cup squad is certainly in the back of her mind though, everyone involved fighting for 23 coveted spots on the plane to Australia this summer. She won’t get too far ahead of herself, but it’s a definite goal for 2023.
“I think it is natural to think ahead like that. This is an incredible squad already so I think it would be too ambitious to make any assumptions that I am going to the World Cup.
“My focus at the moment is just to assist in any way, whether that’s just being a strong competitor to help the team prepare for the World Cup or whether that is fighting for a spot.”
Whatever about Germany tomorrow, getting off the mark against China PR next week would be the perfect place to start.
“I would love to be capped, put the jersey on and all of that, but really, I’m just focused on the next training session at hand,” Sheva concludes. “If that comes, I would be thrilled, but if not, we keep working.”
