Ireland's World Cup journey ends with a point and recrimination
SPECTACULAR SAVE: Ireland’s Courtney Brosnan dives full length to brilliantly turn a header from Nigeria’s Uchenna Kanu onto the crossbar in yesterday’s World Cup clash. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
An image of collegiality frozen in history at Hampden Park has melted away to reveal all of its fragmentations.
The scene of Vera Pauw being ushered away from media duties to join her staff and players in the centre-circle for a group shot typified the joy felt inside and outside the camp.
Not even an ill-advised digression into a pro-IRA chant could discommode the feelgood factor generated by a group of women, many who six years earlier were changing out of FAI tracksuits in airport toilets.
Pauw’s control of the fallout earned her further respect but all of the indications are that her employers and now key players have drifted from the hum of solidarity.
The occasion of gaining their World Cup point, thereby avoiding the ignominy of returning home pointless should have been one to celebrate.
However, the sight of Katie McCabe barking orders at her manager on the 70th minute and the other world-class star, Denise O’Sullivan, admitting the manager belatedly discovered her best position exposed fractures.
At least the 52nd minute curse didn’t descend into a hat-trick of defeats on Ireland’s maiden World Cup voyage.
Concessions against Australia and Canada seven minutes after the restart continued an alarming pattern and it nearly extended at Laing Park when Toni Payne’s floated cross left two of her Nigerian teammates unmarked for free headers.
Uchenna Kanu read the flight of the ball perfectly to apply a downward header, only for Courtney Brosnan to stoop low – Gordon Banks style – and turn the ball onto the crossbar.
Bottom seeds in the pool, Nigeria showed how to cause upsets by finishing second behind the co-hosts – setting up a probable last-16 clash with England. Pauw is now officially out of contract and ever increasingly likely to lose her job when the FAI get around to that post-tournament review they place so much store in.
Evidenced by her opening day lateral stare against Australia, McCabe doesn’t indulge clubmates on the international stage but she had no choice when former Arsenal colleague Asisat Oshoala approached her from behind in the tunnel to exchange pleasantries.
Oshoala is the darling of the Super Falcons, their marquee representative in Europe with Barcelona, but Randy Waldrum has been careful in managing the forward’s minutes, eventually including her from the start following a goalscoring intervention off the bench in the 3-2 win over Australia.
Playing for points and pride rather than progression, the redeployment of Denise O’Sullivan from midfield anchor to support sole striker Kyra Carusa pointed to an attacking outlook by Ireland.
They enjoyed their share of the half-chances in a scrappy game played before a half-full Laing Park but were unable to profit from the shakiness of Chamaka Nnadozie in goal for the Africans.
Kyra Carusa’s tame header following a knockdown by Louise Quinn from McCabe’s in-swinging cross was their only time to force the Nigerian goalkeeper into a save during the opening 45 minutes.
As opposed to the throw-in from which they conceded the Canada winner on Wednesday, Ireland almost pocketed a goal from similar means on five minutes.
Heather Payne, passed fit again but able to survive the warm-up this time, crossed for Sinead Farrelly to lay the ball into the path of the marauding McCabe.
A free-flowing Ireland captain is a menace to any defence but her trademark left boot arrowed her 20-yarder marginally off-target.
Nigeria fashioned the clearest opening through Oshoala on 14 minutes.
She showed her class by latching onto Kanu’s pass through the centre, drifting slightly right and firing her rising shot a yard wide of Courtney Brosnan’s post.
That chance was gifted by Quinn’s slack pass, a common feature of a half that Ireland enjoyed waves of possession without finding the clinical end product.
Nigeria were inches from punishing them with that Kanu header – the save that won Brosnan the Player of the Match gong – but O’Sullivan also went close to breaking the turgidity, seeing her shot on the hour inside the box blocked. McCabe’s throw-in and Carusa’s turn presented the space to have a crack.
“Being in that position, I’m able to show myself more,” said O’Sullivan. “I finally got a shot on goal. The next level is getting those chances and then finishing them.”
McCabe’s quest to bolster the attack was obvious and her annoyance at the restriction was borne out by incurring a second booking of the tournament by catching Payne late.
That was as eventful as it got, leaving Ireland’s World Cup memory confined to their skipper’s wondergoal and a legacy of uncertainty of who will be in charge when the Aviva Stadium hosts its first senior women’s international on September 23 against Northern Ireland.
What can’t be countenanced on that day is a repeat of the 2001 picture between Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane – a precursor for the explosion that eventually erupted.
Courtney Brosnan; Heather Payne (Abbie Larkin 84), Niamh Fahey (Diane Caldwell 90+5), Louise Quinn, Megan Connolly, Katie McCabe; Lily Agg ((Marissa Sheva 84), Ruesha Littlejohn; Sinead Farrelly, Denise O’Sullivan; Krya Carusa.
Chamaka Nnadozie; Michelle Alozie, Osinachi Ohale, Oluwatosin Demehin (Onome Ebi 83), Ashleigh Plumptre; Halimatu Ayinde, Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne; Uchenna Kanu (Ifeoma Onumou 66), Asisat Oshoala (Gift Monday 66), Rasheedat Ajibade.
Katai Garcia (Mexico).
24,884.
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