Friendly Preview: USA -v- Republic of Ireland

USA

The American squad waiting for Ireland in Texas are as fear-inducing a side they could hope to play in women’s football as the Americans chase an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup crown and fifth title overall. 

The current team has played a key role in boosting the status of women’s football in the United States and worldwide, with players like Alex Morgan gaining international fame for their exploits both on and off the pitch. 

USWNT strolled to victory in the SheBelieves invitational cup in February winning all three of their games in the competition to take the trophy for the sixth time out of the eight editions of the tournament. 

The Stars and Stripes are currently on a six-game win streak with their last defeat coming against the number two team in the world, Germany, in November. 

Julie Ertz returns for her first action since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and after giving birth to her first child in August last year.

Ertz, one of just five players in this squad who was a part of both the USA’s 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup wins, will be honored before Saturday’s match for her 100^th cap

Olympian Casey Krueger also returns after giving birth to her first child, also a boy in July and is in her first USWNT camp since October of 2021.

Veteran defender and two-time World Cup winner Kelley O’Hara returns from injury after not playing for the USA since last summer.

Morgan has scored in all three of her previous appearances against Ireland, tallying five goals in those games include a hat trick in her first match against the Irish in 2012.

Ertz, Horan and Swanson have all also scored in previous meetings with Ireland.

USWNT SQUAD (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS)

Goalkeepers: Adrianna Franch (Kansas City Current; 10), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 13), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 89)

Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign; 23/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 48/1), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 27/0), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 130/24), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 14/0), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign; 28/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 37/0), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 156/3), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 214/0), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 73/1)

Midfielders: Julie Ertz (Unattached; 116/20), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 126/26), Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave FC; 12/2), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 87/24), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 50/7), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit; 22/3), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 42/3)

Forwards: Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 17/5), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC; 204/121), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 15/2), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 27/12), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars; 87/32), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 52/15)

Republic of Ireland

Vera Pauw’s side are certainly challenging themselves to the fullest in the build up to their maiden World Cup campaign as they prepare to take on world number one and reigning world champions the United States Women’s National Team in Austin Texas in the first of a two game series of friendlies.

The first game has a 7.30pm kick off time on Saturday evening (Irish time). 

The girls in green will face the sternest of tests in central Texas against an American side stacked with legends before moving on to St. Louis, MO to do it all over again on Wednesday.

While a daunting task on paper, confidence at the squad is bound to be a high point as Ireland are unbeaten in their last nine matches (with eight clean sheets) in a run stretching back over a year to their last defeat against Russia in February 2022. 

Pauw returns to the States for the first time since being sanctioned by U.S. soccer officials over allegations of body shaming levelled during her time as manager of Houston Dash, a city just three hours away from Austin, and the manager once again defended her actions when she spoke to the media ahead of the game.

“These allegations are absolutely ridiculous. I know I find a lot of safety in the truth,” said Pauw.

The manager has brought in Sinéad Farrelly with the American born player set to play having received international clearance for the Girls in Green.

Farrelly was one of the whistleblowers who sparked the investigation into managerial behaviour in the top level of the club game in America that led to the investigations the subsequently implicated Pauw.

The 33-year-old Gotham FC midfielder qualifies for Ireland through her Cavan-born father but required an international transfer having represented the United States at underage level.

Farrelly is one of four US born players in the Ireland squad along with goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, Kyra Carusa and Marissa Sheva).

“We are looking forward to this game against the World No 1 as it presents us with a fantastic opportunity to test ourselves against a quality opponent who will put us under the type of pressure that we will experience at the World Cup,” said Pauw.

“We know how good the USA are with so many world class players and an excellent coach, but we will focus on what we can take from these two games – starting on Saturday in Austin. It is a challenge that we are ready to embrace, even if we remain realistic about how difficult it will be.

“These two games are part of our preparations for the World Cup and we will feel that playing against strong opposition will ultimately benefit us as we need to keep improving and be ready for what is to come.”

Ireland have never beaten USWNT, but the current side is better prepared than any previous attempt, as they sit at their highest ever FIFA world ranking position at number 22. 

Ireland WNT Squad

Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes)

Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Jessie Stapleton (Shelbourne), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Claire O’Riordan (Celtic), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Tara O’Hanlon (Peamount United), Áine O’Gorman (Shamrock Rovers)

Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Roma McLaughlin (Fortuna Hjorring), Sinead Farrelly (NJ/NY Gotham)

Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers), Amber Barrett (Potsdam Turbine), Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit), Alannah McEvoy (Shamrock Rovers)

Referee: Carly Shaw MacLaren (Canada)

Match Stats

The Republic of Ireland have faced USWNT 13 times – the opponent they have played the most - losing all 13 and netting just once with an aggregate score of 48-1. 

Denise O’Sullivan will win her 100^th cap. O’Sullivan will join Emma Byrne, Áine O’Gorman, Niamh Fahey, Ciara Grant and Louise Quinn as centurions for the WNT.

Ireland are on their longest unbeaten streak since they went 11 games without defeat between March 2003-October 2004. 

Prediction

America 3-1 Republic of Ireland  

Additional reporting by Macdara Ferris

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