FAI misses opportunity to give Ireland a well-deserved Aviva Stadium attitude to Sweden’s clash
When Sweden met Ireland at the European Championships in 2016, they promised to build a “yellow wall” of fans around the Stade de France to subdue Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his side.
Of course, their best-formed plans were scrapped by the fact that the opposition was more than them, so it is a pity that the Green Army’s force is not mobilized for the meeting between the women’s teams in a World Cup qualifier on October 21.
Ireland’s leading international team is on a small wave and backs up its equal pay deal and sponsorship of Sky with a 3-2 victory over Australia last week.
It was easy to forget a lot of the anxiety that preceded in seven consecutive defeats when Vera Pauw’s players cheered over the final whistle in Tallaght.
There were many happy scenes; teammates who embrace each other and mingle with the crowd of 3,341, which consists mainly of young girls.
Every player who spoke afterwards, like Pauw, credited the home support for their contribution in Ireland which took its biggest scalp, in sowing, for 30 years.
Even though it was a friendly match, the battle of a team ranked 11th in the world underlined what can be achieved for a team that is still waiting for its first major tournament qualifier ever.
Ireland will soon enough discover if the prospects of quitting hunger are realistic as they face the two seeds above them and one below in their initial three qualifiers.
First out are the Swedes, officially the best team in Europe.
Then Finland is gone five days later before Slovakia arrives in Dublin on November 25.
For Ireland to be in the mix to finish second and a safe play-off for the World Cup 2023, four or five points from the nine available are required.
All possible benefits within their control should be explored.
As they enter the twilight of their distinguished international careers, the FAI demands to do everything they can to ensure the 30s Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell and Áine O’Gorman crown it with a World Cup look.
That includes exposing them to the widest audience at the National Stadium.
Sharing that scene with women in a time of equality has become a fundamental part of neighborhood associations.
In the same World Cup window that Ireland hosts the Swedes at Tallaght Stadium for 7,500 people, England welcomes Northern Ireland to Wembley. The Nordics themselves played their last qualifier against Latvia at Windsor Park.
Elsewhere in the UK, Wales host Estonia at Cardiff City Stadium while Scotland face Hungary at Hampden Park, the second of the four qualifiers at Glasgow Arena.
The Finnish FA, who are keen to increase their fourth European Championship qualifier to five by reaching a first World Cup, have allowed the women’s team to use Helsinki Stadium with 40,000 capacity for their game against Ireland next month.
The FAI will not follow up anytime soon.
– Tallaght Stadium has been home to the Irish women’s team since 2013 with 23 matches played there so far and our attendance record has been broken on seven different occasions there, says a spokesman.
“We want to continue to build on that by attracting a consistent audience to all home matches and improving the fantastic atmosphere that our fans bring to games in Tallaght.
“We are open to Ireland playing at Aviva Stadium in the future, but Tallaght is our home ground right now and we look forward to another memorable evening when we host Sweden in our first World Cup qualifier.”
Fair but, to borrow Stephen Kenny’s phrase, are there any nuances of short-sightedness to that position?
Not only are the Olympic silver medalists Sweden a huge public draw, stacked with players from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG and Chelsea, but icons are being developed in the Irish line-up. Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan, for example, are both at the peak of their club careers, known in the global game and serving as inspiration for the FAI’s growth sector.
Surely they and their teammates deserve the ultimate platform in their own country for the biggest game in the eight-match campaign? It will not bear the same appeal next year if the side is out of the qualifying hunt. FAI is still sensitive to costs, but still armed with a proper advertising campaign and a pricing structure for, for example, children free with a paying adult of 10 euros, the business case to open the arena can be done.
An overall drive by the GAA managed to increase the participation for the women’s Gaeic football final 2019 at Croke Park to 56,114, which corresponds to the double number that existed for the decision-maker five years earlier.
Bohemians showed the atmosphere on Aviva that could be created with limited visitors of 6,000 and 8,000 in the summer and the FAI could have escaped that capacity three times two days before additional limit values. And they would use an existing asset to get optimal benefits, on and off the field.
Instead, Connacht Rugby stepped in to book the digs for their URC duel with Ulster.
“Seeing the Scottish FA back the team by putting us in Hampden for all our qualifiers was a really good feeling,” said McCabe Arsenal colleague Jennifer Beattie. “You never really know when these stages will happen and when you do, you think, ‘We’re heading in the right direction.'”
Northern Ireland’s Rachael Furness is just as enthusiastic about being at the center.
“It’s the national stadium – not just the men’s national stadium,” she explained.
Sounds like the FAI has missed a trick. As their new sponsor would say, time to believe in better.
Stephen Kenny will present his Ireland squad ahead of Saturday’s World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan tomorrow and no specific rookie has been heard.
Perhaps the absence is the best, given that the last bolt that was tipped for height has experienced the reverse of hype.
Gavin Kilkenny started the first six games for Bournemouth this season and his strength and composure in the midfield facility reinforced his fall for a call-up.
However, Kenny was present for the 21-year-old’s final outing, a 6-0 EFL Cup humble in Norwich City, and chose not to include him in his squad two days later for the September window.
The return of more experienced midfielders from suspension and injury would always threaten Kilkenny’s position, but what was not expected was that he was completely knocked out of the match day squad.
“It was a tough conversation but Gav has two options,” said Cherries boss Scott Parker, whose side has gotten off to a good start in its campaign fee. “He can do nothing between now and the January window. He either feels sorry for himself or enjoys where he is. We’ve had that conversation. ”
So is the uncertainty of being a budding player in a Premier League club or, in Bournemouth’s case, one who thinks they should be.
We can expect similar stories for many of his Irish comrades.
The name Red Star Belgrade does not register with St Patrick’s Athletic youngsters, but they will remember the Serbs as a scalp if they advance to the Uefa Youth Champions League.
Irish football fans will recall the club from the former Yugoslavia as the one that Manchester United’s Busby’s Babes met in the European Cup before their plane crash in 1958. They also lifted the famous trophy in 1991 and defeated Marseille on penalties.
Nowadays they are known as Crvena Zvezda, and the first team is more Europe than the regulars in the Champions League. Still, they and city rivals Partizan Belgrade have a reputation as two of Europe’s most productive academies.
Tonight, their latest game will face the Irish champions at Inchicore in the first stage of the opening round.
“Not a hand went up,” Saints boss Sean O’Connor revealed of his pre-match orientation.
“It was a little surprising, because I knew them when they were growing up, but it can be good that they do not know them.”
Cork City’s victory over HJK Helsinki 2016, sealed by Aaron Drinan’s winner, is still the only time a League of Ireland club has advanced beyond the first round of the competition.
Pat’s will be without most of last season’s champions due to age restrictions, but the latest recruit Sam Curtis will be there. “I do not think we will be outclassed,” O’Connor added.