Vera Pauw and Katie McCabe turned up at the World Cup Fanzone over the weekend in Australia, to meet with the fans that have followed them from Ireland and reconnected with their Irishness in Australia during this World Cup odyssey.
We can never recall the bubble being broke in quaite the same fashion by any team competing at a major finals, certainly not since they have become the global mega events that they are.
That decent thing was done but then it was back to work for a final game against Nigeria which will have a material bearing on which of the African side, Australia or Canada will progress to the Round of 16.
It has been a tournament of surprises, of a levelling out of opportunity across the teams that qualified.
The knock-out stages will deliver quality football in a manner that is deserving of major TV viewing figures.
Children who have been excited to follow the Irish team should be encouraged to watch on, in the same way we did at the Men’s tournament before Christmas and to dream of being there themselves some day.
The record viewing figure for an Irish Women’s sports team last week must be seen as a foundation and not an end goal for what can be achieved.
The Irish team then have once last 90 minutes to recreate the magic of that Katie McCabe goal, and to set the tone for the Nations League and the Euro 2025 Qualifying to follow from the Autumn.
There has been something of a media obsession as well over the future of Vera Pauw as manager.
We have always pitched her personality as being key to seeing this group step up as contenders. It has been an emotional journey for everyone, with her own personal challenges in the Netherlands and the United States creating additional pressure on her, way beyond what would normally be expected of a sporting manager.
The parallels to Jack Charlton as an outsider who crafted a team that captured the heart of the country are obvious.
Italia ’90 had a better outcome than Australia 2023 but history can be an untrustworthy lens.
Ireland of that vintage scored two goals in their five games, and failed to win a match, drawing their three group games and then that penalty shoot out.
Commentators at the time were not as smitten as the public but still he was backed to carry on.
The intervening 33 years have seen an acceleration of judgement and the FAI has been criticised for not commenting on Pauw’s contract statement but reviewing in the clod light of day is always better than a knee jerk reaction to the good days and the bad days.
You’d have to hope that the homecoming scheduled for next Thursday will be well supported and that she will be a central part of the festivities.
The result today will have an impact on the mood but we should not forget regardless the positivity that this team has generated, created by manager and players, supported by the FAI and backed by sponsors including Sky, Cadbury and others that have fully bought into the journey.
One more push today and then build on everything that has been achieved for a better tomorrow.
