Brosnan acknowledges pride after star show in Sweden
Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan acknowledged her pride in the wake of her fantastic performance in the landmark 1-1 match with Sweden in Gothenburg in March last year.
The New Jersey-born Irish goalkeeper was a commanding presence, and made a series of saves during the second half to keep the visitors’ unexpected one-goal lead until the Irish goal was finally broken, Kosovar Asllani shot in the equalizer ten minutes after time.
However, Brosnan was called upon to make further saves as Ireland survived the final stage to hold out for a famous draw against the side who were ranked second in the world.
Although Brosnan’s form has been healthy throughout the ongoing campaign, the game in Gothenburg represented the ultimate redemption after the shaky end to Ireland’s fateful European Championship qualifier campaign 2022.
In the critical game in Ukraine, which eventually cost the Ireland qualifier, Brosnan was involved in a mix-up with full-back Áine O’Gorman, which resulted in the latter’s own goal.
Brosnan was then released for the final match of the campaign against Germany, substitute Grace Moloney managed admirably in the 3-1 loss.
But the Everton goalkeeper has scrapped himself back in the box-seat when it comes to the goalkeeper position, the achievement in Sweden a restoration of Vera Pauw’s faith.
“Of course I’m really proud, proud of the team and proud of myself,” Brosnan told reporters.
“It was a fantastic atmosphere there, to play in front of so many fans. It’s something you do not take for granted. We realized how special it was to make such an achievement in front of an audience and get important points in the qualifying process.
“You do not really think about it like that when you play or while it is happening. You are focused on the task and you take everything that comes to you. I do not think I realized or looked at the bigger picture until after the match.
“It was full focus on getting the result and doing what was necessary for the team, whether it was making a save or ten saves. I really just tried to be that calm influence at the back and do everything I could to help. us to get the result. “
Brosnan insists that her self-confidence was not shaken by the accident in Kyiv or the subsequent loss of the goalkeeper’s shirt.
“You have that inner belief in yourself, always. You know what you are capable of and what you can do. It’s nice to put in achievements that prove it too. Everything is just building blocks and going in the right direction. and say you have the tools and the ability to be here, which is reassuring and nice to see.
“I do not think that as an athlete you need to look for concrete evidence all the time. You have to create it within yourself and have that desire and the inner faith, no matter what may happen. It’s nice to have some evidence but I would not say it’s necessary for your self-confidence. “
With the competition hot for the number one jersey, Brosnan has a new rival to fight against as Ireland prepares to face Group A cannon food Georgia in Gori on Sunday.
Durham Women goalkeeper Naoisha McAloon, a former WNL winner with Peamount United, has received her first call, one of four goalkeepers, along with Brosnan, Grace Moloney and Brighton’s Megan Walsh.
“I’ve been to one or two camps with Naoise, home-based. It’s great to have her in a full camp here and a competitive match in progress.
“She is a fantastic addition and it just shows the quality of goalkeepers here. We have to keep working and there are people who are pushing to get into the team. She is also good to have around the place. I have said it a million times before ., we have a fantastic goalkeeper team. “
Ireland sent the unfortunate Georgians 11-0 in Tallaght last autumn, indicating that this weekend’s match should be a routine task for a team with a design on qualifying.
The hosts’ results have not improved during the interval, with a 15-0 loss at home to Sweden and a comparatively respectable 6-0 loss to Finland in Helsinki.
The only complication for Ireland may be the heat, the team took on a camp in Turkey this weekend, where they beat the Philippines 1-0.
“It has been fantastic for us to be able to adapt to the heat and get a sense of what it will be like in Georgia.
“We look forward to being together again and getting a match under our belt. I think it was fantastic that we could get to that game. You kind of think you know how hot it will be. When you are here you realize how brutal it can be.
“We are taking all the necessary steps to be prepared in the best possible way. Everyone is aware that there will be a stronger (Georgia) squad and another challenge away from home and to play on a pitch we do not know.”
The latest world rankings took into account Ireland’s latest results and lifted the team to 27th place in the standings, their best ranking since 2008.
“We are trying to build something here. With the results we have obtained, we are taking steps in the right direction. It is fantastic to get that recognition in the world rankings. We take it as a confidence boost but we I am not complacent and think the job is done.
More specifically, the ultimate goal is the possibility of achieving the first ever World Cup appearance, where Ireland currently has a slight advantage over Finland due to the results in Helsinki and Gothenburg.
“Coming from a small country like Ireland, which has so much passion, would mean the world to me and all the girls,” says Brosnan about the World Cup dream. “It goes without saying how big it would be for all of us.”