The reminders about searching Ryanair for flights to Switzerland will annoyingly persist, the panic to remember where the bunting was stored after the World Cup watch parties can be put away and the dream of a second major tournament for the Irish Women’s football team has been left broken, for now.
For the 25,832 who flocked to the Aviva Stadium last night, there were two certainties. Christmas was coming and so too was an Irish qualification. One out of two is a harsh lesson at a young age but don’t we always say that one of sport’s greatest gifts is the ability to teach resilience.
Wales had never themselves qualified for a major tournament, and they took on the position last night that we held in Scotland two years ago. Underdogs going in, taking your chance when it came and leaving home hopes for dust.
This was a night that began in reality with a big win over Northern Ireland in front of a crowd of 36,000 for a first outing at the Aviva in September 2023, fresh from Australia and a first World Cup.
There were bumps along the way, defeat to England at the same venue was chastening but then victory over France in SuperValu Pairc Uí Chaoimh had us back on the hope bus.
Too Much Fire
By most standards the Republic of Ireland are a better team than Wales but last night that was not the case. There was a sense of perhaps too much fire and not enough ice in the Irish performance and the team have now reached a stage when harsh criticism should be accepted as part of the game.
Wales played tough but we were willing accomplices and there were a few occasions where our Captain and tone setter Katie McCabe was lucky to stay on the pitch.
At the end she sank to the ground with her head in her hands, almost the same spot as she had raised her hands to the crowd before kick off exhorting us to be louder.
She will be 31 at the next World Cup, 33 at the next Euros. There will be other opportunities. Wales’ talisman Jess Fishlock is 37 years old and Switzerland will be her first major tournament.
The Women’s team have been a bright spark for Irish football when elsewhere there has been less to cheer. Now it will be back to the groundwork of six games from February to June, six more chances against Turkey, Greece and Slovenia to raise the heads of those that have been on the journey so far and those that have started playing because of this team and their exploits.
Last night was a setback which will hurt as much next July when we are not at the party just as much as it did last night.
The FAI will now conduct a review of this campaign, these past fifteen months of wins and losses, steps forward and steps back. That is important so that we are honest in knowing what we did well and looking for the ways in which we can do better.
The young fans will now turn their attention back to Christmas concerts and Santa gifts. Many will still ask for the green jersey to be under the tree on the 25th. Perhaps just not quite as many as would have been the case had Denise O’Sullivan’s shot been 30 centimetres lower, or Anna Patton’s hand, or the temperature of the team’s fire in their bellies when the crucial questions were asked.
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
Not only the hopes and the dreams but also the doubtless clever activations from the sponsors, the billboard campaigns and the imaginative squad announcements are now on hold. We had the pleasure of Hannah Dingley’s company at last week’s Sport for Business Women and Sport conference and her actions in building out the structures for more girls and women to get into the game are sound and will continue. They just won’t have the stardust of a major Finals to sprinkle over them, at least for now.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
The Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team will play three home games over the next six months against Turkey on February 21st, Greece on April 8th and Slovenia on June 3rd. The SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division in the League of Ireland will run from February to October 2025.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
