Ireland WNT vs Zambia Preview: Now the World Cup preparations get real

This is the one and only game for those auditioning from the fringe of the team to make their mark and secure their place on the place.

Thu, 22 Jun, 2023 - 07:02

Brendan O'Brien

Now it gets real. More real for some than others. Vera Pauw knows the core of the squad she wants to bring to Australia for the Republic of Ireland’s first crack at a senior World Cup.

And she admitted yesterday that she has a fair idea of the XI she will put out on day one against the hosts in Sydney.

Over 30 players will pass in and out of training camp in Dublin by the time the manager reveals her final 23 at a ceremony in UCD this day next week and this is the one and only game for those auditioning from the fringe for the few remaining slots to make their mark.

The stakes could hardly be higher.

Some players will get just 45 minutes to plead their case for inclusion this evening but the Dutchwoman, who dealt with queries about her ongoing contract talks with FAI with the statement that she is “very happy in Ireland”, gave up only scraps of information as to her likely teamsheet.

There are no fresh injuries to speak of but Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion certainly won’t be taking any part.

The 27-year old, who has had two serious ACL injuries in recent years, will have a leg brace removed from an injured knee only next Monday. Time is not her friend right now.

Katie McCabe has managed just two football sessions with the national setup since joining up late after her extended club campaign with Arsenal and the Dubliner is unlikely to be used here.

Katie McCabe during a Republic of Ireland women training session at Tallaght Stadium.

That means a different captain for this Tallaght scene-setter but Pauw, true to form, wasn’t saying who.

Leanne Kieran, who has maybe half-an-hour in her legs since returning for Liverpool from long-term injury late in the club season will get some game time but Megan Campbell, who is going through return-to-play protocols has made a significant gesture for the benefit of the collective.

“Megan gave up her hotel place so, in case she cannot make it, Izzy (Atkinson) can come in and she can prove herself,” Pauw explained. “That sacrifice, that will to sacrifice for the team, is something huge.”

Balance will be required this evening. The line-up will be heavily experimental but Pauw is mindful of the “chaos” that can come with too much change and she will demand a familiar structure to Ireland’s affairs as they do their stuff.

The same will apply to the players. By all means, this is an opportunity to further individual ambitions but the manager stressed the need for those involved to find a compatibility with the system the collective employs.

Her message to the players will sum that up.

“To play their tasks. We have agreements in place about what is expected of them and within that they are free to act. That freedom of acting is always a key aspect of what a player brings to a team.

“For defenders, for example, that is usually more strict than for creative players in the final third, but that's always the case.

"It's about the player adapting to the choices that occur in front of you and within that making choices that helps the team to win.”

The opposition tends to have a say in these things, too. Pauw is hoping that Ireland can continue to develop the attacking side of their game after signs of progress in that area on the recent tour to the USA but this is also about getting in some face time with African opposition before meeting Nigeria in Brisbane.

Vera Pauw set to give fringe players last chance to stake claim for World Cup spot

The visitors will have their main player, Barbra Branda of China’s Shanghai Shengli, available. Branda is just 22 but is already captain and she has scored 22 times in just ten games for her country as they, like Ireland, prepare for a first World Cup at this level.

Zambia did make it to the last Olympics, in 2021, when they followed a 10-3 opening loss to the Netherlands with a 4-4 draw with China and a 1-0 defeat to Brazil but coach Bruce Mwape is looking to “shake up the world” later this summer.

“What kind of team are they? Physically very strong, they are fast," said Pauw. "I think we are better organised than they are so it will be a battle between a lot of individual qualities and us making use of our teamwork. That is what you will see.”

The hope is that the 56 places between the sides in the world rankings will be equally visible, regardless of the side the hosts put out.

Pauw has already shared her sense of having ‘broken people’s dreams’ by leaving players out of the preliminary squad. She spoke yesterday of a squad with balance and quality and players who buy in completely to the group ethic.

Disappointing more again is simply unavoidable. “The fact that this is coming up gives me sleepless nights,” she said.