Pauw eyes history as she steels Ireland for physical Ukraine

In a big week and month for Irish football, Vera Pauw is convinced her Ireland women’s team can use tonight’s Euro qualifier against Ukraine to take a huge step towards creating history. The Girls in Green, led by captain Katie McCabe, are at this stage fatigued by answering questions about breaking Ireland’s qualification duck.

They can take encouragement from the fact that the nation blocking their path to the 2021 finals, well at least the play-offs, have scant history to cheer about either. Just once have Ukraine qualified for a tournament, heading to the Euros a decade ago. Their standing in the Fifa rankings has steadily declined since. They now sit just seven places above Ireland in 25th.