VERA PAUW BELIEVES that the Republic of Ireland “will get there” in their quest to reach a first-ever major tournament.
“And if we don’t qualify now, it will be the next phase,” the Girls In Green boss told the Sports Mvt Insider podcast this week.
“If I’m there, that’s another question, but there is stability now and the team has grown so much. It’s incomparable with two years ago.”
The Dutch coach charted her playing and coaching career on the podcast, and delved deeper into her colourful, storied football journey thus far.
Pauw discussed her time at the Irish helm since September 2019, when she succeeded Colin Bell in the role. While her side are currently in a promising position as they target qualification for the 2023 World Cup, they fell agonisingly short in their Euro 2022 bid.
Ireland’s dream was ultimately crushed in Kiev, as Ukraine emerged 1-0 winners from the crunch battle after an agonising Áine O’Gorman own goal. Ukraine progressed to the play-offs, where they were beaten by Kenny Shiels’ Northern Ireland, who now make their major tournament debut in England this summer.
Pauw’s future was up in the air after the curtain came down on that unsuccessful campaign, but the former Netherlands, Scotland and South Africa manager signed a contract extension with the FAI and continued the journey.
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Let's talk about all things coaching and women's football.
This week, we chat with @FAIWomen head coach, @verapauw. She tells us about her upbringing, Banyana Banyana and Houston Dash.
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Why? “It’s a little bit the same as when I extended in South Africa: it’s the heart that came in,” she explained.
“We just missed out on qualifying for the European Championships, exactly as we just missed out on the World Cup with South Africa. We were knocked out in absolutely the same way. Against Ivory Coast [with South Africa], we could score and score and score, but we didn’t. We had 13 open chances but didn’t score, and something was not happening that day. That’s how we missed out on the World Cup.
“With Ireland, we played Ukraine and we only had to draw. Ukraine did not create one chance, we scored from 45 yards out into our own goal because the defender went to go back to our goalkeeper, who was just offering outside the goal, and it just went in. We had a penalty 10 minutes later, we couldn’t score. We hit the crossbar and the post, so many chances but the ball didn’t get in. It was exactly the same situation as in 2014 that we were knocked out for the World Cup.
“My heart, it hurts, because I connect with my players. I saw this all happening again and I realised, ‘Well probably, this is part of the journey.’ You need to go through this phase because it’s happening all the time. It happened in the Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa, and now with Ireland.
I thought, ‘If I leave now, then they have to start over again.’ The players said, ‘Please stay, because we need continuity, we are on the right path and we feel that every game we get better.’ That made me stay. I’m very happy because every game we get better again, like Banyana Banyana [South Africa] and like the Netherlands and like Scotland.
“We will get there — and if we don’t qualify now, it will be the next phase. If I’m there, that’s another question, but there is stability now and the team has grown so much. It’s incomparable with two years ago.”
Across two interesting episodes, Pauw spoke about always “fighting for better circumstances” from campaigning to play with adults at 13-years-old, to forging a coaching career which has spanned across the world.
She shared insight and anecdotes on her coaching philosophy and structures, and how she was “slaughtered” for the unconventional playing style she implemented early on in the Netherlands.
Asked what she would like to be remembered for as a player or coach, or general figure in the game, Pauw — who also held coaching roles at Houston Dash and Russia — revealed:
“That I – even if it was at cost for myself – that I would always stand up for women who were not in the position to do that themselves.
“I think that that is what drives me, and that is often something that hurts your career. Because I’ve never coached [at] a World Cup. But the ones who work with me, I’ve got such a close relationship [with].
“Everywhere I have been, with the players and the staff members, I’ve got a very close relationship. And I think that is because they feel that I don’t do it for the choices that I make, that I do it especially for getting the game further in general, and creating options for women to grow and to pursue their dreams.
“I think that is how I would like to be remembered.”
