'We wouldn't be here without that battering in Slovenia': Ward notes turning point for Ireland

Republic of Ireland head coach Carla Ward after the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying round 1 play-off second leg. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Carla Ward knew the Irish women’s team she inherited wouldn’t cope unless lessons were learnt from Koper.

Two games into her reign in February 2025 and Ireland were hammered 4-0 away to Slovenia.

It was a wake-up call for a team wounded from missing out on a Euros place three months earlier and a manager with a premonition of how they should be set up.

One such notion – advancing Katie McCabe into midfield – was ditched by half-time, never to be repeated.

The ease with which Ireland were dissected by an underdog on the counterattack prompted a tactical overhaul.

Two centre-backs became three, with a pair of midfield pivots complementing the solidified base.

Fast-forward to the present and Ireland are within two games of reaching next year’s World Cup in Brazil. 

They’ll be favourites for the two legs on December 1 and 5 against a Poland team they prevailed against in two April World Cup qualifiers.

“Without that battering in Slovenia, without that hurt, we wouldn’t have unearthed it as quickly as we did,” she said in the wake of Tuesday’s 4-0 stroll over Kazakhstan, the 12th victory of a 19-game reign.

“We picked the bones out of what we needed to address.” The former Aston Villa and Birmingham City manager explained the minutiae around the evolution.

“This group plays now, this type of football, it's completely different to back then,” she outlined.

“In that first campaign, I was playing in a way that I had played clubs in my whole career.

“That was 4-3-3, front-footed and high pressing, but there were too many gaps.

“It didn’t really suit the squad profile or player profile that we had.

“And it was in that first summer that we decided if we want to play with the ball this way, we will probably have to change system.

“So, we changed systems which suited the profile of the group. That first game was Belgium.” 

Ireland won that playoff a year ago against a higher-ranked side over two legs.

It not only sealed promotion to the top tier of 16 nations for the main World Cup qualifiers but supplied the springboard to beat Poland twice and the Netherlands in the campaign.

Had the Belgians held onto their first-leg lead, a rematch would have ensued, starting in Leuven on December 1, but the Poles battled back, eventually shading the semi-final in a penalty shootout.

In Barcelona star Ewa Pajor, Poland have the most in-form striker in Europe.

“It’s a fact that we got the toughest draw,” said Ward about how they fit into the eight playoff finals.

“Even the likes of England didn't really want Poland or Belgium. I got to see their game before ours and they’ve a good squad of players. They're gonna want revenge.” 

One of the eight playoff winners must navigate another step, the intercontinental playoffs, but that won’t be Ireland.

Their nine-point haul in qualifying bestowed ninth place in Europe, top of the posse when it comes to calculating the lowest seed dropping into the extra layer. 

Their path is clearcut, culminating in the visit of Poland to Lansdowne Road for the second leg on Saturday, December 5.

The 5pm kick-off is just one reason why Ward and the FAI believe they can break the attendance record of 35,994 that turned out for their first match at the national stadium in 2023 against Northern Ireland.