A YEAR WHICH began in the spring sun in Marbella and peaked at the World Cup, will end on a cold winter’s night in Belfast.
Ireland kicked off their historic 2023 with a 0-0 friendly draw against China PR in Spain, Vera Pauw at the helm and excitement building for their first-ever major tournament.
11 months and 13 games later, they face Northern Ireland in their final Uefa Nations League League B Group B1 clash — and likely the last of Eileen Gleeson’s interim reign.
The FAI took the decision not to offer Pauw a new contract in August. Her exit was messy, to say the least, and the official word was “a different and fresh approach” was needed.
An appointment is due before Christmas, but FAI Head of Women’s and Girls Football Gleeson has steadied the ship, overseeing a 100% record in the Nations League thus far. With promotion to League A long secured, the Girls In Green are targetting a clean sweep with their sixth win from six at Windsor Park tonight [KO 6pm, RTÉ 2].
Victory over the North would also improve their record for the year, the most active in their history. It currently stands at six wins, five defeats and two draws, excluding The Colombia Debacle pre-World Cup.
The losses were all under Pauw, though the higher-ranked opposition she faced does not compare to Northern Ireland, Hungary and Albania in the Nations League. After that China draw, Ireland fell to back-to-back defeats to USA (1-0 and 2-0), beat Zambia (3-2) and lost to France (3-0). At the World Cup, they suffered narrow defeats at the hands of co-hosts Australia (1-0) and Olympic champions Canada (2-1), before a scoreless draw with Nigeria in their final group game.
One needs little reminder of the drama and turbulence that followed.
Gleeson was tasked with picking up the pieces. Emma Byrne and Colin Healy ably assisted her with a host of other impressive personnel, including former Brazil performance coach Ivi Casagrande, joining the set-up.
There has been a notable shift in atmosphere, with players lauding Gleeson and her staff in interviews and openly sharing their joy at the more front-footed style. There is significantly less pressure, and in turn, more freedom — and with that, a chance to blood younger players.
The Nations League campaign opened with an historic all-island Aviva Stadium clash, and closes with a similar occasion in Windsor. The Republic cruised to a 3-0 win at Lansdowne Road, and followed it up with home and away victories over Hungary (3-0 and 1-0) and Albania (5-1 and 1-0).
On the first day of Christmas month, Friday night’s scrappy 1-0 win was all but gift-wrapped by the Hungarians: Henrietta Csiszár’s 65th-minute own goal ultimately settled the Tallaght Stadium tie, with Ireland well below par.
Katie McCabe and co. will be targetting huge improvements tonight to cap 2023 and likely send Gleeson off on a high, but Northern Ireland are seeking a scalp as they battle it out with Hungary for second place. Tanya Oxtoby’s side will enter the promotion play-offs if they win, or if Hungary do not win against Albania. Hungary will progress if they win and the North do not.
Gleeson is expecting a big derby challenge in Belfast, citing that very incentive first and foremost.
“There’s a very competitive second-placed battle going on,” she told The 42. “There’s been a few asks about whether we’ll be trying to win. Rest assured, we’ll be trying to win.
“I think it’s a nice end to the campaign. It started with the first match in the Aviva which was a lovely representation of an all-Ireland competition, a representation of all-Ireland, women’s football in Ireland given it was the Republic and the North. Now it ends in the same way in Windsor Park.
“It’s the first game in there between the Republic and the North in a very, very long time. It’s lovely for us to be involved in that occasion but it is a competitive game.”
The first since 1993, in fact, as brilliantly recounted by Declan Bogue, but a first-ever for the women’s sides.
Northern Ireland last played at Windsor Park in April 2022, when they faced England in a World Cup qualifier. A record-breaking crowd of 15,384 watched on on that occasion, with capacity now up on 18,500.
There has been no real indication of the estimated attendance for tonight, though a sizeable cohort of Republic fans should make the short trip up the M1.
They’ll expect another win, with the Girls In Green 23 places higher in the Fifa World Rankings, but Northern Ireland will be confident of an upset after a 4-0 victory over Albania last time out.
“Tuesday’s game is going to be a new challenge for us to take the performance from Friday and be able to apply that against a team that is in form,” as Oxtoby said.
Both looking to end 2023 on a high, so.
- Uefa Women’s Nations League League B Group B1: Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland, Windsor Park, 6pm, RTÉ2.