Ireland depending on England to secure bye into World Cup playoff final
GAFFER: England head coach Sarina Wiegman.
Historical rivalries will be parked today for the good of Irish football, with the Girls in Green relying on England to smooth their path to the women’s World Cup.
If Sarina Wiegman’s European champions beat Austria in Wiener Neustadt, just outside Vienna (4.30pm), then Ireland will be spared one hurdle in next month’s complicated playoff series.
Three of the best nine runners-up skip the semi-final series and two of Friday’s results – Norway beating Belgium and Portugal coming from behind to see off Serbia – leaves Ireland in a battle with Austria for the last of those berths.
England will be hotly tipped to deliver Ireland the favour.
Wiegman – a former teammate of Pauw’s in the Dutch national team – has presided over 18 wins and two draws in her 20-game reign which reached its first-year anniversary this week.
Still, both nations require just a draw to achieve their aims – England’s to guarantee direct qualification for next year’s showpiece in Australia and New Zealand, Austria to claim a bye into the playoff final.
They last faced each other only a month ago in the opening game of the Euros at Old Trafford, where Beth Mead’s goal settled a tight contest.
Several of the Irish squad are friendly with England’s players through club connections.
Diane Caldwell played alongside Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and goalkeeper Mary Earps at Manchester United last year, Megan Campbell previously with the Manchester City cohort including Lauren Hemp.
Denise O’Sullivan shared a dressing-room with Rachel Daly at Houston Dash.
Louise Quinn formed a central defensive partnership with England captain Leah Williamson during their time at Arsenal while Ireland captain Katie McCabe is a current colleague of Gunners Mead, Jordan Nobbs and Lotte Wubben-Moy.
Of the nine runners-up across the groups, three teams with the best points total bypass the ‘semi-final’ hurdle within the Uefa playoff series to be contested between October 3-11.
Otherwise, the six other six get paired at next Friday’s draw into three one-off deciders at the semi-final stage.
Whichever three emerge from that series will meet the best three in the final phase.
From these three winners, two with the best records over the group and playoffs campaign progress directly to the showpiece.
The third of these teams drops into the intercontinental playoff system next February, staged by the co-hosts for the finals four months later. The European team seem certain to be seeded in that blitz as it will be determined by world ranking.
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