Ireland awaits a draw against Sweden after Katie McCabe struck
Sweden 1 Republic of Ireland 1
Asllani 79 ‘, McCabe 44’
Old and new memories rolled together into one. Neighbor with Sonia O’Sullivan’s eternal moment on Ullevi’s asphalt, Katie McCabe’s goal took hold of Gamla Ullevi Stadium and almost refused to let go of Sweden.
Almost.
Eleven minutes from the end, Filippa Angeldal selected Olivia Schough in the box and her first volley found the sensational Kosovre Asllani, who snuck between Niamh Fahey and Louise Quinn, before the Real Madrid striker controlled and buried the ball in the lower right corner.
It was cruel, but fair. Sweden had swallowed Ireland in terms of possession, but this is still a tactical champion class that beats Vera Pauw’s side up on the Fifa rankings.
McCabe and Co are fully justified in believing that they will join their high opponents at next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s just amazing,” said Pauw, “second in the world and we could have won!”
No one returned now. Finland and Slovakia were to be filleted in September by a repeat of this brave, unbreakable show.
Heroes all, Courtney Brosnan had the game of her life in Ireland’s goal while the old reliable ones – Louise Quinn, Denise O’Sullivan and McCabe – went deep into their souls to almost ruin the party for 12,123 very relieved Swedish fans.
The rules for participation in this group A qualifier were set from the start. Ireland would go to great lengths to force Heather Payne to compete with three solid defenders in 74 minutes – showing the kind of athleticism Sonia would admire – as Caroline Seger was left completely alone as the midfielder.
Ireland dared the second ranked team on the planet to break them down. Do your worst.
They set up two deep defensive lines of five and four and invited Seger, the veteran with 225 times, to take them apart. Payne would run out and hope that McCabe and O’Sullivan could gather the energy to go with her in the final third.
Both Irish superstars took on the challenge with unforgettable levels of aggression and industry.
Something special happened almost already after five minutes when McCabe spun a tempting cross into the Swedish box. The late-arrived O’Sullivan got a touch just to dribble wide.
Most of the first half was a study in Irish discipline in the face of several Swedish threats, especially when Asllani, understandably called “The Queen”, got her head up.
Hands on deck
Romanian referee Luliana Demetrescu was careful when Hanna Bennison shot into O’Sullivan after 11 minutes. The teenager’s studs clearly caught the narrow leg of Ireland’s most important players. Demetrescu turned in a dismal performance, however. O’Sullivan stood up to play as an obsessed woman.
Everything was happening on deck when Sweden searched for weaknesses along both flanks. The powerful Lina Hurtig caused all sorts of hassles through the middle and headed over a Jonna Andersson delivery after 25 minutes. Megan Connolly, to her eternal credit, when she operated in the foreign midfield, did just enough to force the Juventus striker to go high and wide.
Blue-yellow intricate triangles gave them lots of joy along the Irish left, where Connolly and Chloe Mustaki on her second cap were under tremendous pressure, but still somehow kept Quinn’s defensive line.
Asllani had to manage with a reduced squad after 32 minutes, as Bennison got sent off for a needless foul away from the game’s action. Real Madrid were given a gift!
Ireland went deeper into their shell when Stina Blackstenis went royally into the match. The pressure was stifling with Irish players visibly withering from the half-hour mark.
Except for McCabe who seemed to just get in his way, even strolling forward to hit a tame shot straight at Hedvig Lindahl.
These barely half chances fell for the right Irish players, but the spectacular is almost impossible to evoke when it is broken by the best team on the planet.
Impossible is nothing, or how about Adidas?
Frustration
Slowly, the Swedes began to feel the frustration of several mistakes. Seeker was also written in the judge’s book for a petulant – dare you say that arrogantly? – foul when O’Sullivan tried to make a quick counterattack. It was a costly pull of the Irish midfielder’s shirt (sponsored by the less obvious Sky marketing machine).
That’s when it happened. From the free kick close to the halfway point, McCabe rolled the ball into an unmarked Connolly on the right. After taking a calming touch, she curled up to the front post where Heather Payne connected just so the ball would run away from goal for O’Sullivan to control and tee up McCabe.
A wild deflection struck Lindahl and astonished Gamla Ullevi to the sound of silence.
Everything changed, completely changed, the horror that McCabe is had a new look before half time but the Irish skipper fired the shot.
The mood of the locals was positively miserable when the Irish players trotted away at half time, all with the exception of the bloody Lucy Quinn who walked among confused Swedes.
It took Sweden’s coach Peter Gerhardsson 55 minutes to call on the cavalry. Only a couple of Manchester City and Barcelona magicians, Filippa Angeldal and Fridolina Rolfo had been ruled out before the match with non-Covid-related illness.
They came when Ireland began to abandon a vital need to find accuracy in its states. This must have irritated Brosnan when the New Jersey – born goalkeeper justified her dubious choice before Brighton’s Megan Walsh.
Brosnan made two fantastic saves when Rolfo picked out Angeldal for a clear goal on goal on the hour – the Everton goalkeeper palmed the ball skillfully on the other crossbar – and again from Rolfo when the Swedes went to kill.
But Ireland refused to tense. McCabe burst out laughing when rattling Swedish players began to moan over Brosnan’s slow kick. Demetrescu eventually issued a dramatic warning.
More grinning from the Irish girls followed Asllani’s small mistake on O’Sullivan. And Hanna Glas inexplicably rolls possession out of play.
Yet it never seemed as if Ireland was going on. Sweden, so technically superior, was about to end up in them.
How Brosnan’s net remained untouched for so long is the true mystery. Especially on the straight line at home when Blackstenis and Hurtig shot high after a header that missed the goal.
Eventually told their bench. It took 79 almost miraculous minutes before Schough made a square for Asllani to equalize. Old Ullevi understandably came alive when the draw secured their place in the World Cup.
Asllani was knocked by Niamh Fahey in the final seconds but Roflo’s blow cut the green wall and cleared Brosnan’s watchful eye.
Next, Sweden goes to win the European Championships in England this summer. All their opponents have been given a sketch to keep them in check. How to actually beat them is a whole other thing.
Sweden: Lindahl (Atletico Madrid); Llestedt (Paris Saint-Germain), Sembrant (Juventus), Eriksson (Chelsea); Glas (Bayern Munich), Bennison (Everton), Seger (FC Rosengard, c), Andersson (Chelsea); Asllani (Real Madrid), Hurtig (Juventus), Blackstenius (Arsenal).
Subs: Rolfo (Barcelona) for Sembrant, Angeldal (Manchester City) for Bennison (both 56), Curmark (BK Hacken) for Glas, Schough (FC Rosengard) for Hurtig, Bjorn (Everton) for Glas (both 77).
Republic of Ireland: Brosnan (Everton); Finn (Birmingham City), Fahey (Liverpool), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), Mustaki (Shelbourne); Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Littlejohn (Aston Villa), McCabe (Arsenal, c); Payne (Florida State Seminoles).
Subs: Kiernan (Liverpool) for Payne (74).
Judge: Luliana Demetrescu (Romania).