Marissa Sheva settling into her stride in Ireland side

In the space of just a couple of months Sheva has proven herself a fast learner, a selfless worker and a potentially key part of Vera Pauw’s World Cup-bound team

COMBATIVE: Marissa Sheva of Republic of Ireland in action against Emily Fox of United States during the women's international friendly match at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. Pic: Brendna Moran/Sportsfile

Even in a sold-out town making a racket to celebrate the presence of their national team for the first time, the bark could be heard high up in the stands of CityPlace.

Katie McCabe had already proven her powers of recovery and her legs Stateside, now she was showing off her vocal chords. Marissa Sheva was the teammate on the receiving end of the bawling, the winger having not pressed quickly enough for her captain’s liking. Within a dozen seconds, the US got in behind McCabe and none other than Sheva was back in cover.