Ireland is ready to take it to the next level after the victory in Helsinki
They’ve had a few gloomy mornings at airports across Europe in recent years, so the atmosphere was understandably calm among Irish players as they waited to leave Helsinki on Wednesday. There wasn’t much time to bask in the victory of the previous night before we split into smaller groups and headed to different destinations around the world.
It suits Vera Pauw well. His captain Katie McCabel also has no problems with it. As he gathered his teammates for a cheerful fuss on the Olympic Stadium field after a 2-1 win, the Arsenal star quickly reminded everyone that it was just one win. Only three points.
They now had to support it by taking six points against Slovakia and Georgia in next month’s duel at Tallaght Stadium.
But the significance of the team’s achievements in Helsinki cannot be underestimated.
This was a significant achievement not only for Pauw’s side but also for the country’s women’s football, probably the greatest during the 48-year existence of the national team.
Similarities have been drawn with the night in Hampden Park during the Euro 88 campaign, when Mark Lawrenson struck when Ireland won a talented Scot who had just been to the World Cup. It became a signpost to national madness to be followed by Jack Charlton.
But perhaps Tuesday had more in common with the 2002 World Cup qualifiers as Mick McCarthy brought his teams to Holland and Portugal in their two opening games and took points from both of the higher ranked countries. Of course, that team had one of the best players in the world, which drove them to a higher level.
Pauwi doesn’t have the luxury of one, but two world-class talents to set the standards in his team. While neither McCabe nor Denise O’Sullivan touch on Roy Keane’s awesomeness, their ability is such that they walk into almost any team, and what was particularly encouraging last Tuesday was that the talented couple joined together much more.
When Megan Connolly and Jamie Finn did a great job of keeping the house as deep-lying midfielders, O’Sullivan had more freedom and Ireland benefited.
The fate of Ireland is now in their own hands. As long as they avoid defeat when Finland arrives in Dublin next September – a game that the FAI should bring to Aviva Stadium if the pace is behind
Vera these players continue to accumulate – they can secure a playoff spot in the World Cup. And if Sweden slips somewhere, the team can dream of an even bigger one.
They should avoid their own slips. Slovakia is a potential banana peel. Finnish boss Anna Signeul was happy to emphasize that we have had bad luck with the A-block line-up, as the recovering Slovaks are probably the strongest fourth seed.
They are tenacious opponents in Tallaght, but with confidence in a high and sold-out audience of 8,000 that encourages them, Ireland expects to open the World Cup.
This qualifying is the first time Eileen Gleeson is not on Pauw’s side. The Irish players honored Dubliner on Tue Day: Pauw by bringing him into the middle of that huddle, and Gleeson said goodbye to the players. He will move to Glasgow City Manager, but it will rob an important – and very popular – part of the management team from this team.
“I’m terrible about losing him, I respect him so much,” Pauw said of leaving Gleeson in the role of assistant. “We tell each other everything we want without losing each other.”
McCabe went on loan to Glasgow City early in his Arsenal career, and he has no doubt that Gleeson will succeed in Scotland. “He’s been great since his entry,” the Irish skipper said. He knows WNL thoroughly.
– It has been amazing to work with him for the last two years. I’ve learned so much from him as a player and as a person, and he deserves to go lead a team like Glasgow City.
– I know them well, because I’ve been there for six months. They have that winning mentality, and I know Eileen will bring it too.
Pauw-Gleeson’s dynamics are hard to emulate. Although the Dutchman usually stands indifferent and observes the activity, his assistant has been more in interaction with the bench.
And while Ireland is to be commended for having provided the two best evidence of Pauw’s reign in its first two World Cup qualifiers, bench use is still questionable.
On Tuesday, Rianna Jarrett, Amber Barrett and Leanne Kiernan spent most of the match warming up – Kiernan prepared for the action in one step after the Finnish handicap game. But only Jarrett was brought into the game after 75 minutes.
Pauw’s reluctance to change things was also the theme of the previous campaign. In the future, as the team prepares to take the next step, more confidence must be shown in the substitutes.
That is the only controversy that can be made after his most successful week as Irish manager. And he would have felt the pressure last week, as well as his player.
Given the recent progress on the ground – pay equality, the Sky sponsorship agreement, and the acquisition of another commercial partner from Cadbury – they had to show that progress was reflected. The magnificent defeat for Sweden and the excellent performance in Helsinki support it and showed Pauw’s caution in playing a series of friendly matches against stronger states.
There were so many positive elements in the recent double headline. Courtney Brosnan has paid off for Pauw’s faith in him with two sure goals, while Ruth Fahy, Louise Quinn and Áine O’Gorman demonstrated the value of experience in the art of defense.
Savannah McCarthy, whom the Finns tried to target in Helsinki, also made a leap from the domestic stage to the international stage while benefiting from McCabe’s field instructions against Finland.
Heather Payne’s appearance as a tireless worker in the face of the attack has also been encouraging. On Thursday, FAI published a heat map of his performance in Helsinki, showing his dynamism at the Olympic Stadium, more than 11 kilometers and a sprint 28 times.
Payne plays in the wing of Florida State University, but the Ballinasloe native says he enjoys the role Pauw has designed for him. “It’s a completely different role for Ireland, but it’s a completely different style of football and a different line-up,” he pointed out. “But I’m just glad I’m being asked to work for my country.”
You got that feeling from Helsinki. This team has spirit and togetherness, and they firmly believe they can go where no Irish team has gone before.
That road is now before them.