Louise Quinn: Finland game won’t make or break Ireland's campaign

Louise Quinn during a Republic of Ireland WNT training session at Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

In the feted Helsinki venue where Eamonn Coghlan won his 5,000 metre world title 38 years ago, the Ireland camp were trying to classify their qualification quest as long-distance rather than a sprint.

Clearly, by the time Vera Pauw and Louise Quinn took to the stage for pre-match media duties at the Olympic Stadium, talk of Tuesday night’s second World Cup qualifier of eight being critical were watered down.