Ireland still optimistic despite defeat to co-hosts, as Australia breathe sigh of relief
Steph Catley of Australia speaks to the media in the post match press conference the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia on July 20, 2023 Credit: Mark Metcalfe - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
The Republic of Ireland's Women's football team began their Women's World Cup journey with a mixture of disappointment and frustration, yet drew positives upon the final whistle of their opening game against co-hosts Australia.
"I think with little Larko (Abbie Larkin) and Lucy (Quinn) coming on they brought a lot of energy, and the Aussies were tiring towards the end," said Irish player Katie McCabe during her conversation with Tony O’Donoghue on RTE, highlighting the high pressure the substitutes placed on the Australian team.
The forward, unfazed by the physicality of the match, stated, "Yeah, I enjoyed it. All the girls did. There was a few tough moments earlier on but we don’t shy away from the physicality of the game. Yeah, we enjoyed it."
Despite the defeat, she recognised areas of improvement, particularly in creating more scoring chances, saying, "You are dealing with football at the highest level. When you make mistakes at this level you will be punished... Of course, we want to improve in the final and get shots away at goal, but we will be looking to recover now and then push on for Canada.”
Echoing the sentiment, Manager Vera Pauw expressed her disappointment with RTE's Tony O’Donoghue. "Of course its very disappointing. We said at half time that this game will be decided by one mistake, whether its them or us, and that’s what happened.”
She took pride in Ireland's response, however, noting, "We brought on Abbie and Lucy to get more pressure forward and they came on very well... I think that we have done so well and they didn’t create a lot against us. We have shown that we are among the world's top nations and can grow from this."
On the other side, Australian captain, Steph Catley, acknowledged Ireland's performance during her interview with Fox Sports Australia.
“Ireland were fantastic. They put us under pressure, played their corners really well, and fair play to them," she said.
On the topic of the absence of Australian star player, Sam Kerr, Catley expressed her sympathy: “Heartbreak to be honest... We put ourselves out there and tonight and made sure we got the win for her.”
She further spoke of her confidence in taking the decisive penalty kick, saying, "I’ve been practicing a lot, and I do like taking set-pieces... take a breath, hit it where I want to hit, and luckily it went in.”
Despite the opening loss, the Republic of Ireland appears poised to use this experience as fuel for the upcoming challenges in the tournament.
For Australia, the win marks an important starting point, as they adjust to the absence of one of their key players.
About Philip Morrissey
Philip is a Cork City fan for his entire adult life. From bad times to good, whether this was taking on some major European sides or in the First Division. Philip went back to college … View Full Profile