VERA PAUW IS taking huge confidence from Ireland’s World Cup debut, despite defeat to Australia.
The co-hosts finished up 1-0 winners at Stadium Australia, Sydney, but were pushed all the way by Ireland at their first-ever major tournament.
Pauw’s side frustrated the Matildas throughout a typically-dogged performance before Steph Catley’s 52nd-minute penalty ultimately decided matters in front of a mammoth crowd of 75,784.
“The game plan worked and they couldn’t do what they wanted to do,” Pauw said afterwards.
“When we had to go further forward, the change in tactical approach worked also. Until the last second, we were able to put them under pressure, and I am really proud on this stage, with 82,000 people watching, and it didn’t look like it was really affecting them.
“At half time, I said this is a game that would be decided if one thing goes against you; if one team makes a mistake, [the other team] will get the result because it was that type of a game.”
Aided by the introduction of Abbie Larkin and Lucy Quinn from the bench, Ireland put Australia under pressure in the final quarter, and Pauw was pleased with her players’ endurance.
“We stayed snappy and if the game had gone on another 20 minutes we could have gone also,” she added.
“And I think that is a huge advantage that we had tonight because we had more and more space and that gave us the opportunities to press forward and put them under pressure. But in the first half, it was impossible because they are so powerful and fast.
“We are a team that is battling. We are Irish — the DNA of the team is to battle.”
With games against Canada and Nigeria still to come, Ireland took plenty of confidence and belief from a defeat in which they proved that they belong on the world stage.
“We can play against the best teams in the world,” the Dutch coach said.
“We showed that against Sweden and the USA and against Australia, and next what is coming are the Olympic Champions. We do not fear anyone and these players adapt so quickly.
“We prepared really well and you could see that, we could press until the last second and I think that we were more fit than our opponent because we got more and more space to play. We could switch play [in the second half], and in the first half it was impossible to switch play. We made changes so that there would not only be control but more opportunism in our play because we needed to score and Lucy [Quinn] and Abbie [Larkin] did fantastically.”
Pauw also touched on a huge Australian absence, their captain and taliswoman having been ruled out with injury just before kick-off.
“Sam Kerr is one of the world-class strikers. The fact that she did not play was of course a surprise for us and we were happy with that, but Australia has so many powerful and strong and attacking players that our game plan did not change.
“The way they played, we had prepared for that, and we had taken all their intentions out in the way they wanted to get beyond the defensive line . They hadn’t been there once and that is a huge complement to our team.”
