McCabe's thunderclap lights up Gothenburg as Ireland make their point
Feels so good: Ireland captain Katie McCabe celebrates with teammate Denise O'Sullivan as the visitors brought an end to Sweden's perfect home record. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The winner didn’t have to take it all as Ireland’s draw in Sweden gained both sides the minimum required towards next year’s World Cup.
Vera Pauw’s Ireland came within 11 minutes of recording an unprecedented victory against the Olympic silver medalists — leading at the break through captain Katie McCabe’s deflected opener — but Real Madrid striker Kosovar Asllani pounced to equalise.
It was the first points dropped by Sweden in their seven qualifiers but the single point seals their place at next year’s World Cup. For Ireland, the draw keeps them well on track to reach the playoff series later at the end of the year.
“Sweden were relentless but our target was not to lose and get the point,” said McCabe afterwards.
Injuries to Savannah McCarthy, Diane Calwell and Megan Campbell – all left-sided centre-backs – left Pauw with a selection decision to make. Chloe Mustaki turned out to be the winner, getting her first competitive cap at the age of 26.
She was among the foremost talents in 2014 when captaining Ireland to the U19 European Championship semi-finals but life is seldom linear. A battle was cancer was first to be overcome before a succession of injuries, most seriously an ACL rupture in her knee, stalled the international career so many had forecasted.
The Shelbourne star finally claimed that elusive debut in last month’s Pinatar Cup friendly against Russia, a showing that earned her inclusion in this ultimate test.
She was deployed at left wing-back in Pauw’s now customary formation, with Megan Connolly switching from midfield into that defence vacancy alongside Niamh Fahey and Louise Quinn.
Ruesha Littlejohn and Denise O’Sullivan anchored midfield, tasked with stemming the Yellow Wave, with Lucy Quinn and McCabe operating further up, just behind sole striker Heather Payne.
A bout of illness in the Swedish camp since their 15-0 trouncing of Georgia last Thursday left both Fridolina Rolfö and Filippa Angeldahl feeling under the weather and missing Sunday’s training session. They were both unable to start but would be called upon later to aid the Swedish salvage mission.
Swedish star Caroline Seger had been calling in advance for protection from the referee but it was trhe visitors who were victims of heavy challenges early on.
Teenager Hanna Bennison last year became Everton’s record signing but she was almost famous here for being sent off within 11 minutes. Firstly, Quinn was cleaned out when releasing McCabe but the more sinister tackle was on O’Sullivan, for which she was fortunate to escape with just a booking from Iuliana Demetrescu.
McCabe had tried to pick out O’Sullivan inside the box during that early foray, the Corkwoman arriving momentarily late for the cross.
It was a pointer to Ireland’s approach; augment their sturdily solid organisation by breaking when possible. The opportunities they got to disrupt the Swedes’ rhythm were perhaps more frequent than anticipated.
Europe’s best team didn’t quite attract a record crowd — the 12,123 at the Galma Ullevi Stadium coming up short of a full capacity — but Hedvig Lindahl felt the need to rouse them from their slumber midway through the first half by starting a version of the thunderclap.
The qualification carnival wasn’t going to plan: bar Seger’s 20th-minute shot blocked by Quinn after Courtney Brosnan flapped at a corner, Sweden struggled for openings.
Possessing such quality, they always carried an attacking threat if allowed space. Ireland nearly got punished for a lapse on 32 minutes when Kosovare Asllani ghosted into the box and lifted the ball over Brosnan. Luckily, her shot crashed off the underside of the crossbar and was cleared.
Quinn was needed to produce a couple of additional blocks as the hosts began to dominate but the flow was curbed when Littlejohn got injured, leading to a few minutes’ delay.
When play resumed, Ireland seemed brighter. McCabe fashioned their first stab at goal, albeit from her weaker right foot, but they made their mark from a set-piece.
Magdalena Eriksson, such a composed customer for Chelsea, got blindsided by O’Sullivan just inside her own half , hauling her down to incur a merited booking.
With the Swedes expecting McCabe to swing in one of her trademark deliveries, they didn’t spot Megan Connolly coming short to receive a pass. Despite Heather Payne failing to connect with the cross, O’Sullivan controlled the loose ball and laid it back for the unmarked McCabe to have a go.
That she did from 20 yards with venom, the shot clipping the leg of Eriksson to deflect past the wrongfooted Hedvig Lindahl.
Cue celebrations in the Irish camp and silence within the home ranks. By the break, they were complaining to the referee in vain.
It wasn’t quite the expected stampede from the resumption. Peter Gerhardsson saw enough and called upon the reinforcements, with the sick duo sprung from the bench within 10 minutes.
Angeldahl was only on the pitch three minutes when she forced Brosnan to tip her shot onto the crossbar but Rolfö’s stray pass out of play epitomised the off-colour display by the favourites.
Brosnan was all at sea when Stina Blackstenius rose high to nod over while she was left rooted to the spot when Lina Hurtig powered a 74th minute header wide.
Pressure was building and the equaliser duly arrived. A pinpoint pass into the box found substitute Olivia Schough, who flick the ball into Asllani’s path. She needed just one touch on her chest before driving her volley into the corner from eight yards.
If Ireland couldn’t win the game, they most certainly had to try not to lose. Stubborn defending saw it through, Brosnan stopping low to save from Rolfö and Angeldahl’s stoppage-time free deflected off the wall. With that, the full-time whistle blew and jubilation ensued for both squads.
H Lindahl; A Ilestedt, L Sembrant (F Angeldahl 56), M Eriksson; H Glas (O Schough 78), H Bennison (F Rolfö 57), C Seger, J Andersson; K Asllani; L Hurtig (N Björn 78), S Blackstenius.
C Brosnan; N Fahey, L Quinn, M Connolly: J Finn, R Littlejohn, D O’Sullivan, C Mutaki; Lucy Quinn, K McCabe; H Payne (L Kiernan 74).
Iuliana Demetrescu (ROU)
12,123.
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