US WNT coach expecting tough test from Pauw's Ireland

Vlatko Andonovski says the Girls in Green are 'a highly motivated, hard-working team'.

MILESTONE: Denise O'Sullivan of Republic of Ireland before the international friendly match between China PR on Wednesday. The Cork woman is on track to reach 100 caps against the US. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

USA coach Vlatko Andonovski will use his double-header against Ireland on April 8 and 11 as the final audition before picking the squad that will defend their World Cup crown.

Fifa’s top-ranked nation are favourites to complete a successive hat-trick of global trophies when they head to New Zealand in July to face Vietnam, Netherlands and Portugal in the group stages.

Vera Pauw’s Ireland, who will meet co-hosts Australia, Olympic gold medallists Canada and Nigeria in their pool from July 20, secured their first meetings with the Americans since 2019.

In 2021, the US played the first-ever match at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, defeating Nigeria 2-0 in front of a sold-out crowd, and it is here they return to for what will be the 100th cap for Ireland playmaker Denise O’Sullivan. The Saturday game will kick off at 7.30pm Irish time (1.30pm, central time).

Three days later, on Tuesday, April 11, the teams clash against Citypark, the home of the newest franchise in Major League Soccer, St. Louis CITY SC, which is the first female majority-owned team in the league. Kick off for this one will be 12.30am Irish time (6.30pm central time).

These will be the final international matches for the USWNT players before head coach Vlatko Andonovski and his staff choose the USA’s 23-player World Cup roster.

“Ireland is a highly motivated, hard-working team that has talented players with big hearts who I know are really excited to be representing their country in a World Cup,” said Andonovski.

“The two games will be a great test at a crucial time in our team’s run to the World Cup.

“While there will be plenty of league games for us to watch after April, these will be the final matches for our players with the National Team before we have to pick the World Cup roster, so they will carry that importance.” 

These games complete Ireland’s pre-tournament itinerary, which concludes with a double-header of send-off games at Tallaght Stadium against Zambia (June 22) and France (July 6).

Pauw said of the US tests: “It is beyond the best preparation. We could have taken a lot of games against minor countries, and I said, 'no, no, no - just wait, wait, wait, because it will come because of the contacts we have.

“We now have the perfect preparation. First, we took Morocco last November because we knew there would be a drop, We wanted to play behind closed doors against Germany last Friday, they came to us and we needed that pressure, and then we drew with a strong China team on Wednesday.

“Who would have dreamt of playing the World Cup holders?

“It’s the best you can get and then playing an African nation before playing at the highest level against France before a closed door game in Australia that we still have to finalise.”