McCabe takes issue with referee over time wasting Canadians 

IRKED: Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe speaks to referee Laura Fortunato after the final whistle of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Group B match between the Republic of Ireland and Canada at Perth Rectangular Stadium in Perth, Australia. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Katie McCabe revealed she was booked at the end of Ireland's World Cup defeat by Canada for complaining about time wasting.

The Ireland captain won player of the match and created history as the team’s first-ever tournament scorer but cut a frustrated figure at full-time in Perth, clashing with Argentinian referee Laura Fortunato walking off the pitch.

As with Denise O’Sullivan’s yellow card against Australia last Thursday, mystery surrounded the reasoning but the Arsenal attacker had requested action for the slow pay approach adopted by the wily Olympic champions.

That the tolerance levels contrasted with the stance during a first-half Ireland led for almost 40 minutes particularly irked McCabe.

"I just told the ref that she had no control of the game and that Canada was taking something out of her,” she outlined, being careful in her choice of words.

“We were getting ushered along in the first half, Courtney, myself on the sidelines, and the referee did absolutely nothing about it for the Canadians in the second half.

"I would love to know how much time was wasted in the second half, but I don’t want to say too much about it because I will start to sound bitter.

"I just felt that I had to say something to her. I didn’t say anything bad, I didn’t swear at her, I just told her I felt that she had no control."

In the first half, with Ireland on top, Canada keeper Kailen Sheridan went down for a prolonged spell of treatment.

That was the opposite of her clamping down on any Irish attempts to slow down play, including when McCabe took time over a corner.

"Yeah, she was hurrying me up and I was standing there with no ball, what did she want me to do?,” McCabe mused.

"And sure, they brought a stretcher on for cramp, it was mad. But I can't say too much because I will get fined.” 

McCabe admitted the tactic of taking the game to the Canadians stemmed from their analysis of Thursday when the Matildas bossed possession bar a late flurry.

“We learned from the Australia match not to give this team too much time on the ball – to actually get in their face more,” she confessed.

“I felt we did that. We changed formation towards the end of the game, pushing players higher up for that second goal. There was nothing more we could do other than score and, honestly, I’m just gutted.

“They’re the moments when all you do is want to go another goal up. We had Canada rattled, momentum was with us and the fans were behind you. Their equaliser was a sucker punch but it didn’t rock us.

“We were on the front foot but at this level, it’s about capitalising on it, making sure we’re finishing any sort of chances we got.” 

McCabe was distracted, while talking in the mixed zone, by a giant FIFA television showing the game’s highlights.

Some of the attempts that came up short, such as her slalomed run deflected wide, she could attribute to the defensive nous of stalwart Shelina Zadorsky but others might have been better executed.

Likewise, her own duties at the opposite end when a nifty move unlocked Ireland for Adriana Leon’s 52nd-minute goal which transpired to be the winner.

The trend of Ireland conceding before and after the break was extended, much in the same way, top-10 ranked others USA and France profited in those phases. Ruesha Littlejohn acknowledges the pattern yet is at a loss to suggest a cure.

"They’re massive moments and we got punished again,” said the midfielder, who started again alongside Denise O’Sullivan. “We can’t switch off like that and it’s something we need to get better at."

Although there were 50,000 fewer fans than the blockbuster opener in Sydney, the Glaswegian still felt they got wrapped up in the fervour surrounding their second World Cup fixture.

"We were caught up in the occasion a bit and don’t think we played great football,” she added. “When they were shaky, a second goal would have been great but we have to be better.”