Ireland daring to believe automatic World Cup qualification is possible

Ireland play the Netherlands in Cork on Friday and then France in Grenoble on June 9

Carla Ward: "I don't think anyone in world football gave us a chance with two games to go to be competing where we are now." Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Carla Ward says Ireland are daring to believe automatic World Cup qualification is attainable as they build up to Friday’s return to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Captain Katie McCabe and her teammates assembled at Fota Island on Sunday ahead of the concluding qualifiers against the sixth and fourth best teams in Europe.

Netherlands, minus their inspirational striker Vivianne Miedema, are in Cork this week for the first part of the double-header (Friday, 7.30pm).

Ward’s team then travel to face France in Grenoble on Tuesday week.

Back-to-back victories over Poland in April ensure Ireland are guaranteed to be seeded in both ties of the World Cup play-offs later in the year. Only by leapfrogging the top two seeds on the run-in could they snaffle one of the precious direct tickets to the finals in Brazil next year.

“The position we're in, you know, let's be really honest, I don't think anyone in world football gave us a chance with two games to go to be competing where we are now,” said the Ireland manager.

"There's no bigger motivation than that league table, than playing the very best and this group of players are hungry to be better all the time.” 

Ireland’s first meetings against the French and Dutch in February ended in narrow 2-1 defeats. They were missing Denise O’Sullivan through injury for the latter loss in Utrecht and the Cork native will again be absent against the Dutch due to a second booking of the campaign incurred in the win over Poland at Lansdowne Road.

Attacker Emily Murphy, another influential figure in Ireland’s campaign, is also banned from the first game.

McCabe will captain Ireland, fresh from the news of her imminent move to Chelsea. She ended her decade-long association with Arsenal following complex contractual talks which led to her departing for free.

"Katie would be a good fit for any team in the world because she's a top, top player,” said Ward, declining to reference Chelsea as victors in the chase for her signature.

“I've said it a lot, that she's the best left back in the world. And there’s no question about it.

"Last season, she was in every single Women’s Super League team of the year, no matter where you looked. Any club would be lucky to have her."