Pauw rues Canada knowhow as World Cup journey ends in tears

'This is our first tournament and Canada has the experience that we lack,' Pauw noted.

Thu, 27 Jul, 2023 - 08:37

John Fallon

Pictures of a fanbase drowned by rain and a team drowned in tears will characterise Ireland’s premature World Cup exit.

The sleepy town of Perth was earlier awoken by the cacophony of celebratory noise after Katie McCabe gave Ireland an early lead against the Olympic champions.

Her breakthrough against the Canadian was gold standard technique worthy of any Olympian – whipping a corner kick directly into the far corner with under four minutes clocked.

Canada were outplayed for 40 minutes, rescued only by an unlucky Megan Connolly own-goal as the half slipped into stoppage time.

The next goal would be critical and the Maples grabbed it just seven minutes in by mirroring what they’d been subjected to earlier; dragging opponents out of position from one side to another and availing of the lapses it caused.

Courtney Brosnan kept Ireland level by shoveling Jordyn Huitema’s 49th-minute drive over the crossbar but they were undone by switching off at a routine set-piece.

From Ashley Lawrence’s throw-in on the left, Canada’s Quinn – one of three on the pitch in the first half - spotted substitute Sophia Schmidt in space and the veteran’s slide-rule pass exposed a gap in the Irish defence which Adriana Leon exploited.

Once she ghosted inside McCabe at the back post, the Manchester United forward required one touch to control and a second to prod the ball past the despairing Courtney Brosnan.

Not the first team to exit the tournament early – that tag fell to Zambia earlier – but Ireland’s inability to reach the last-16 will be confirmed from any result in tomorrow’s meeting of Australia and Nigeria in Brisbane – the same venue they meet the Africans on Monday.

By the 65th minute, each team was a shadow of what they’d started with.

Vera Pauw has used up all of her complement whereas it was the treble-change by counterpart Bev Priestman at the break that swung the game in their favour.

Over 600 caps are shared between Shelina Zadorsky, Schmidt and Christine Sinclair and though their age profile makes them vulnerable, that weakness can translate to a strength when it comes to completing the job.

Experience was proving decisive as those that were previously there and done it knew how to manage the game out. A yellow card incurred by Vanessa Gilles on the hour for throwing the ball away illustrated their intention to hold what they had.

“This is our first tournament and Canada has the experience that we lack,” Pauw noted.

“Their experience showed by them waiting for those few moments. They know how to react in those situations.

“Credit to Canada for bringing that calibre of players on the pitch. It made the difference. It shows they’re the glue of the team. But the thing is, if we would have been able to capitalise with one more goal, this was a different game.”

If only.

Ireland’s first-half opener wasn’t in isolation from the general pattern.

Lucy Quinn, in for Marissa Sheva, warmed the crowd up just three minutes in by scampering down the right and crossing for Kyra Carusa to poke a close-range shot that was saved and then scrambled away for a corner by Kailen Sheridan.

The goalkeeper was left flapping in the wet night sky moments later to spark jubilant scenes.

McCabe remained unmoved on the spot, raising her arms to absorb the joy of her teammates and supporters.

Claiming the tag of Ireland’s first-ever scorer at a tournament was secondary to the springboard it provided to shake up Group B.

Rather than recede on their lead, Ireland ventured forward to seize the moment.

Sinead Farrelly’s sliced shot forced the goalkeeper to stoop low and turn the effort around the post before Denise O’Sullivan advanced into space to blaze over from an identical distance. There was even a tenuous penalty shout after McCabe’s surge from deep ended in her crashing under a challenge by Kadeisha Buchanan.

It took a Canadian side struggling to contain Carusa’s trickery up front until the half hour to force a corner.

The cleared curler was recycled into the box for Buchanan to flick onto her central-defensive teammate Vanessa Gilles and the toe-poke over the crossbar from close range marked the first scare.

Until then, Brosnan had just Huitema’s 22nd-minute shot to easily deal with before Ireland were condemned for failing to cut out a cross-shot from the left touchline.

Juventus star Julia Grosso conjured the opening by skipping inside Niamh Fahey hurtling a delivery in that eluded both Louise Quinn and Brosnan, deflecting off the retreating Megan Connolly to nestle in the far corner.

“Megan hardly touched the ball trying to save it,” Pauw said afterwards. “We never blame the players, as mistakes are part of the game, but the problem was the lack of cover on the sides. That was the takeout from that moment.”

It also presented the Canadians with the pivot they so desired.

“Well done to Ireland for taking us to the wire in the first half,” said Bev Priestman, the Canada manager sporting a Geordie accent. “These moments build character. It had been like playing an away game against so many fans, really a rehearsal for facing Australia on Monday.

“Katie McCabe is a world-class player and her goal, especially the nature of it, rocked us a bit so getting that equaliser was a great moment for us.”

The moment of truth for Ireland that they couldn’t recover from.

IRELAND (5-2-2-1): Courtney Brosnan; Áine O'Gorman (Marissa Sheva 57), Niamh Fahey, Louise Quinn, Megan Connolly, Katie McCabe (capt); Ruesha Littlejohn (Lily Agg 65), Denise O’Sullivan; Lucy Quinn (Abbie Larkin 46), Sinead Farrelly (Izzy Atkinson 65); Kyra Carusa (Amber Barrett 65).

CANADA (4-2-3-1): Kailen Sheridan; Jayde Riviere, Kadeisha Buchanan (Shelina Zadorsky 46), Vanessa Gilles, Ashley Lawrence; Quinn, Julia Grosso (Christine Sinclair 46); Adriana Leon (Cloe Lacasse 57), Jessie Fleming, Jordyn Huitema; Evelyn Viens (Sophie Schmidt 46).

Referee: Laura Fortunato (ARG).

Attendance: 17,065.