This long overdue introduction to major tournament football for Katie McCabe, Louise Quinn and Denise O’Sullivan had everything. Except the result they so desperately craved.
McCabe was a bundle of controlled fury, ripping off Ireland’s only two shots on target – yes, one from a corner. Both saved. Replete with black eye and badly swollen ankle, Quinn dominated exchanges and almost scored late on. Also denied.
McCabe and Megan Connolly conjured corners and free-kicks that were parried to safety by increasingly desperate Australians, who deserve enormous credit for outlasting their equals in the sacred art of belligerency.
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Libby (6) and Amelia Halpin (9) hope for an Irish goal at the Ireland-Australia Women's World Cup match screening at Irishtown Stadium in Ringsend. Photograph: Laura Hutton
Louise Quinn of Republic of Ireland and Emily Van-Egmond of Australia compete for the ball during the Fifa Women's World Cup Australia vs New Zealand 2023 Group B match at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia. Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty
Tension mounts in Irishtown Stadium during the Ireland vs Australia Women's World Cup match. Photograph: Laura Hutton
Republic of Ireland fans show their support during the Fifa Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty
Eabha, Danny and Louis Naughton with mother Debra from Drumcondra watch on a big screen at Dalymount Park as a last-minute chance for an equaliser goal is missed by the Irish women's team in their Fifa World Cup match against Australia. Photograph: Alan Betson
Lucy Hollowed, Charlotte O'Reilly, Riley Boylan and Phiney Hayes take shelter in Irishtown Stadium as the rain falls during the Ireland vs Australia Women's World Cup match.
Photograph: Laura Hutton
The crowd in Irishtown Stadium laments a missed chance
during the Ireland vs Australia Women's World Cup match.
Photograph: Laura Hutton
Australia's forward number 16 Hayley Raso reacts after being fouled in the penalty box during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup Group B football match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP
Australia's defender Stephanie Catley scores her team's first goal from the penalty spot during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup Group B football match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP
Sheltering from the rain in Irishtown Stadium during the Ireland vs Australia Women's World Cup match in Sidney.
Photograph: Laura Hutton
Fans of the Irish team react as they watch the opening Fifa Women's World Cup match between Australia and Ireland at the Brisbane Fan Park in Brisbane, Australia. The tournament is held in Australia and New Zealand, with the final in Sydney on August 20th. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty
Ireland manager Vera Pauw takes stock of the situation after the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup match between
Australia and Republic of Ireland WNT. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Young fans Elise Johnston, Wren Cotter and Hugh Cottter from Leixlip cheer Ireland at the Fingal County Council Sports Office watch party in the Sport Ireland Indoor Arena at Blanchardstown. There were 1,500 in attendance.
Photograph: Shane O'Neill/Coalesce
Mackenzie Arnold of Australia makes a save against Louise Quinn of Republic of Ireland during the Fifa Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Photograph: Brendon Thorne/Getty
Mackenzie Arnold of Australia fists the ball during the Fifa Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty
Viv Boylan and her son Travis (2) brave the rain in Irishtown Stadium during the Ireland vs Australia Women's World Cup match. Photograph: Laura Hutton
The chaos unfolded without Sam Kerr. “Sometimes s**t happens,” said Mary Fowler, the 20-year-old who replaced the captain in the Australian line-up. “It was very unfortunate. Sam is a massive player. She means so much to us girls. She means so much to the country.”
Sport remains unforgivingly cruel. Kerr now becomes irrelevant at this World Cup, at least until her lower limb gets reassessed after The Matildas face Nigeria next Thursday.
Ireland cannot care about the face of this tournament being redirected to the physiotherapists table either. They almost stole a precious score draw in Sydney. Still, Canada will feel more than beatable now.
Change seems certain in Vera Pauw’s familiar starting XI ahead of the meeting with the Olympic gold medal winners in Perth on Wednesday. Leanne Kiernan for Marissa Sheva, who struggled in possession before coughing up the penalty that allowed Steph Catley to score the game’s only goal, would be an obvious swap. But the Liverpool striker failed Pauw’s periodisation test.
“Our game plan worked perfectly and tactically we were very well prepared,” said Pauw. “We have a fitness programme called periodisation with Raymond Verheijen and I knew that we would be as fit as we are.
“We stayed snappy and if the game had gone on another 20 minutes we could have gone also. And I think that is a huge advantage that we had because we had more and more space and that gave us the opportunities to press forward and put them under pressure. But in the first half it was impossible because they are so powerful and fast.”
Abbie Larkin, the electric teenager from Ringsend, made the strongest case to start. “We needed to score and Lucy [Quinn] and Abbie did fantastically.”
This contest sizzled from start to finish. “Australia are very powerful, I don’t know how many fouls there were today. But we are a team that is battling, we are Irish, the DNA of the team is to battle.”
Asked about McCabe’s fitness after her she was in the wars on a number of occasions, Pauw said: “She is fine. I heard in my ear [piece] that she had to wrap her fingers.
“Oh can I say that I am so proud of Denise O’Sullivan. Wow. After that challenge to play how she did. I am so proud of her. She is a tough cookie.”
