Ireland against Sweden
2023 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for women
Ireland v Sweden, Tallaght Stadium, 19.00.
ONLINE
Live blog on RTÉ.ie / sport and the RTÉ News app.
TV
Watch live on RTÉ2 or RTÉ Player from 6.30 pm.
WEATHER
Thursday will be a new day with sunny poles. There will be a few showers, mainly affecting parts of Connacht and Ulster with many other areas remaining dry during the day. Highest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees in fresh northwesterly winds.
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Silent trust
If it were not for the postponement of the match against Georgia last month, Ireland’s campaign would already be underway.
And as of September, Vera Pauw’s side was on a long losing streak, albeit by tight margins and against top-20 teams in the world specifically selected to provide stern opposition to the preparations for the World Cup qualifiers for the Women’s World Cup 2023.
But things are looking up after an impressive 3-2 friendly victory over the tournament’s regulars Australia on September 21 at Tallaght Stadium.
It was a quick lift when they returned to the same place for a scary start to the qualifying campaign against giants Sweden.
Pauw really feels that the squad is learning from the recent matches against tough teams that have also included Iceland and Denmark.
“We are growing for every match. We are getting closer, but we have to see on Thursday if we are ready for this level,” she said this week when the Swedish game appeared.
And given that Thursday is the first staging of a double header that will include a trip next Tuesday to a Finnish side that is likely to be the main obstacle to second place in the group, the current silent confidence levels will be crucial during the next week.
Katie McCabe’s form
The captain has been in superb form for the ladies’ Super League tops Arsenal this season and scored three goals in five games – and so that we do not forget that she is not a forward who makes her presence in the upper parts of the points lists all the more impressive .
The range and quality of the offer has also been a prominent feature, including long-distance chips and volleys, while she has made Champions League appearances.
The versatile player hopes to bring that momentum into the Swedish game: “It has been a good start to the season with Arsenal. We have had back-to-back matches so it has been a pretty tight schedule but all the forms I have I have” I’ll try to bring it to Ireland’s game in the coming week, and hopefully I can help the team get over the line. “
Sweden pedigree needs some introduction
Only the USA is above Sweden in the current FIFA ranking and in July, Peter Gerhardsson’s side stunned the reigning world champions 3-0 in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympics on their way to taking home the silver medal where they lost the final to Canada.
It was only a couple of years after they finished third in the WC 2019, not to mention that Sweden is a country that has qualified for every single WC, Olympics and EC that exists than a couple of tournaments in 1991 and 1993 and usually makes it to the later stages.
The current squad is packed with players from all of Europe’s best clubs and extensive experience among the backbone of veterans in the form of defender Nilla Fischer (189 internationals) and Bayern Munich striker Sofia Jakobsson (128 internationals). Captain Caroline Seger (holder of a record 223 hats) misses when she rehabilitates an injury as she said to Swedish outlet Aftonbladet.
The qualifiers have been even for the track so far for the group favorites before starting in Tallaght with wins over Slovakia (0-1) and Georgia (4-0) last month, giving 13 wins in 16 matches without defeat in normal time since this time last year . There is no doubt that they will put up as much resistance as Ireland can imagine.
Ireland’s squad
Goalkeepers: Grace Moloney (Reading), Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Eve Badana (DLR Waves), Amanda Budden (Shelbourne)
Defender: Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Claire Walsh (Glasgow City), Diane Caldwell (North Carolina Courage), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Savannah McCarthy (Galway WFC), Éabha O’Mahony (Boston College) , Áine O’Gorman (Peamount United)
Midfielder: Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Niamh Farrelly (Glasgow City), Ciara Grant (Shelbourne), Aoibheann Clancy (Wexford Youths), Jessica Ziu (Shelbourne )), Katie McCabe (Arsenal)
Forward: Amber Barrett (FC Cologne), Rianna Jarrett (London City Lionesses), Heather Payne (Florida State University), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Kyra Carusa (HB Hoge), Saoirse Noonan (Shelbourne), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City)
Follow the Republic of Ireland v Sweden via our live blog on RTÉ.ie / sport and the RTÉ News app, watch RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player live, or listen to live radio comments on RTÉ 2fms Game On.