Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw will retain a back five against Canada at the Perth Rectangular Stadium on Wednesday (kick-off 1pm Irish time).
Needing at least a draw against the Olympic champions to remain in contention for qualification from Women’s World Cup Group B, Pauw does not intend to deviate from her preferred system. Since April, Ireland have scored zero goals and conceded seven in four defeats against nations placed higher than them in the Fifa ranking – the United States (twice), France and Australia.
“Do you realise that we have to play five at the back, eh?” said Pauw, answering a question with a question. “That is our biggest problem.”
Why? “Why? Because we have fantastic defenders but they are not the quickest. If you don’t have cover, then you will get five or six one-v-ones to the goalkeeper in every half.
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“And that is what we’re dealing with. We’re getting there. We’re getting better and better and better, and closer and closer and closer, but you need to play to your strength and not to your weaknesses. We eliminate our weakness. But I do agree with you, we need to create chances, we need to get forward, we need to get in the half of the opponent.”
Ireland finished last Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Australia in Sydney with a back four as Louise Quinn was redeployed at centre forward.
It is conceivable that they will reach the knockout stages of this World Cup without scoring a goal. Scoreless draws against Canada tomorrow in Perth and Nigeria in Brisbane on Monday would secure the runners-up spot – and almost certainly a last-16 match against England – providing the Matildas beat both Nigeria and Canada by two goals. The hosts’ captain, Sam Kerr, will not play against Nigeria on Thursday at Lang Park due to a calf injury.
Under Jack Charlton in 1990, Ireland’s men’s team battled their way to a World Cup quarter-final by drawing 1-1 with England and gaining a no-score draw against Egypt – that drew a fierce response from Eamon Dunphy on RTÉ – before reaching an unspoken gentleman’s agreement with the Netherlands after Niall Quinn’s equaliser in Palermo. There followed a penalty shoot-out defeat of Romania in Genoa before Italy halted the journey at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
It won’t earn the Irish women any new friends on their first visit to football’s main stage but it would be deeply satisfying to repeat history.
Or Pauw might loosen the shackles and go for victory.
“Next question, please,” she responded to this suggestion. “We have an opponent also reading, eh?”
The 60-year-old’s latest sit-down with the Irish press pack was instructive for what she did not say. Enquiries about the speedy 18-year-old Abbie Larkin coming into the team instead of Marissa Sheva were answered with a stare and knowing smile. It could be a double bluff.
“Have you seen the stats of the [Australia] game? We have seen more crosses and more entries in the final third than Australia. I don’t know if you have seen that? But we want more chances on the goal, of course. We played the top level, eh?
“Canada did not have one shot on goal against Nigeria and they are the Olympic champion. It is so difficult at the top level. We do everything. We want to get there. We tried to get there. I think the Lucy and Abbie subs were brave. Abbie is 18 years old, Lucy gives us the power but you never know what you will get out of her.”
Outside of set pieces, how will Ireland score? “You’ve seen against USA that we were able to switch play. We couldn’t switch play now. And that has part to do – well, everything to do with the direct play of Australia. That’s their strength.”
The non-use of Amber Barrett against Australia is another bone of contention.
“Amber is the one in the original plan. But with Abbie and Lucy on, we need a left footer at fullback to get pressure forward.”
Canada won Olympic gold with a similarly agricultural approach to Pauw’s Ireland and they continue to rely on the game’s greatest ever goalscorer, 40-year-old Christine Sinclair, to deliver.
The squad arrived in Australia still at odds with Canada Soccer (CS) over pay and preparation. In February, Nick Bontis stepped down as chief executive before following his predecessor Victor Montagliani into a CONCACAF role, just weeks before injured star Janine Beckie, Sinclair, Sophie Schmidt and Quinn brought their labour dispute to the Canadian parliament.
Despite their collective stance, and playing under protest because CS threatened to sue them if they went on strike, the Olympic heroes were denied a send-off game before the World Cup.
The Canucks preparations boiled down to three games, one victory and two defeats, in three US cities last February, when they lost 2-0 to the US in Orlando and beating Brazil 2-0 in Nashville before a 3-0 defeat to Japan in Dallas, all in the space of just six days. They also lost 2-1 to France in Le Mans on April 12th, and they began their tournament last Friday in Melbourne by drawing 0-0 with Nigeria, whose goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, saved a penalty by Sinclair.
