Ireland suffered heartbreak when Sweden made a late equalizer to deny huge profits
Ireland fought hard against the world number two, and even after leading during large parts of the World Cup qualifiers for women, they could not see a historic victory against Sweden.
Sweden only needed one point to automatically qualify for next year’s tournament and they had to really dig deep to get past Vera Pauw’s stubborn outfit.
Girls in Green fought bravely for 90 minutes and even dreamed of a win thanks to a blow from skipper Katie McCabe.
Ireland were stable in their 5-4-1 form for the opening 20 minutes, with the likes of McCabe popping up to create decent chances on the counter whenever she could.
Sweden eventually cut through Ireland on the right side of the defense but Lina Hurtig’s nod got over the crossbar, partly thanks to a small push from Megan Connolly.
The hosts then cracked the crossbar in the 32nd minute, as a fantastic move from the hosts allowed Kosovar Asllani to come in but she blew her chance over Courtney Brosnan but and outside the woodwork.
Despite all the pressure from Sweden, Ireland found a goal. A fantastic ball in from Megan Connolly was nodded away before O’Sullivan brought it back to McCabe for the Arsenal star to hit into the net – with a sharp deflection on the way.
Sweden 0-1 Ireland – Katie McCabe gives guests a shock lead against world number 2. Vera Pauw’s side hit the front just before the break #rtesoccer #SWEIRL
📺 https://t.co/GnumBfJKRv
📻 https://t.co/FDy5KofWIx
📱https://t.co/wH5tqlaBqQ pic.twitter.com/f0LRQqlb1L– RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) April 12, 2022
Vera Pauw’s team faced a long second 45 minutes where they could possibly secure the biggest result of her term – and without a doubt in the history of the women’s national team.
Ireland remained stable for the next 15 minutes with so many players playing out of their skins, especially the impressive Brosnan in goal. The stopper made the decisive touch in the 61st minute when he shot Angeldahls shot in the crossbar.
Even as the hosts camped in the Irish half, Girls in Green continued to strike back. A cross coming in on the right hand side left Stina Blackstenius alone in front of the goal after 72 minutes but his shot was woeful.
Despite the best efforts from Ireland, Sweden eventually cut through to score goals. Asllani ended up in a huge gap to run into and the Real Madrid star made no mistake for the equalizer with less than 15 minutes left
Ireland then had to cling on in the hope that they could earn a valuable point and despite fatigue in the final stage, they managed to secure a draw.
Even though they had hopes for so much more, getting a draw to the world’s second best team is still a huge result for Pauw’s accusations.