Soccer

Ireland face tough task in England at end of disturbing week

A point against England could help Ireland secure seeding for the Euro 2025 playoffs

Denise O'Sullivan and Jessie Stapleton were in bright form at Carrow Road as they prepared for Friday's encounter with England. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Denise O'Sullivan and Jessie Stapleton were in bright form at Carrow Road as they prepared for Friday's encounter with England. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Gavin Cummiskey
Fri Jul 12 2024 - 06:00
Euro 2025 qualifier: England v Ireland, Carrow Road, 8.0 – Live RTÉ 2

Ireland will get an unwanted glimpse of life without Katie McCabe, luckily for one night only, as the Arsenal attacker is suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards for Friday night’s Euro 2025 qualifier against England at Carrow Road.

Denise O’Sullivan captains the side on her 114th cap, but a game of enormous importance to both Ireland and England has been overshadowed by separate off-field events this week.

“These things cannot happen again,” said England manager Sarina Wiegman when news of alleged inappropriate sexual advances, to Irish female footballers in the 1990s, reached the Lionesses camp.

The FAI interim chief executive David Courell spent time with the Ireland squad in recent days to address what the association described as “the serious historical abuse and manipulative behaviour experienced by women within Irish football”.

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“Obviously [it is] deeply upsetting to watch and to hear the girls,” said Eileen Gleeson, the Ireland head coach. “The girls have our full support and solidarity. You have to really commend their bravery in coming forward. [I] fully support the investigation.

“Football and wider society, it needs to be a safe place for women. We’re in a football environment, it needs to be safe for everybody. To hear these girls’ alleged experiences, it’s deeply upsetting.”

A point against England in Norwich, the third ranked team in the world against the 25th, would go a long way to seeding Ireland for their Euro 2025 playoffs in late October, with a final playoff to reach Switzerland next summer on December 3rd. If they get that far.

Should Ireland remain winless from five games in the Nations League A, Poland will get an easier playoff draw, on their superior goal difference, unless a side led by the returning McCabe gets a result against France at Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Tuesday.

The other issue before this international is the media focus on the Aviva Stadium on Thursday, and the unveiling of Ireland men’s manager Heimir Hallgrímsson, although that had little negative impact on player preparation.

“We have so little time in camp that it is just jam-packed with training and trying to switch our mindset to the England game and also take the opportunity to go as far as we can for this Euros campaign,” said Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion.

“We really want to be a seeded team for the playoffs and make good on our performance and result that we had against England last time when we lost 2-0.”

Lauren James was outstanding in the Dublin fixture last April but the Chelsea forward is injured so Wiegman will lean into numerous other star turns.

It’s vital England do not slip up at Carrow Road as automatic qualification to defend their European title needs to be secured with at least a draw against Sweden in Gothenburg on Tuesday.

“They’ve been really challenging all the teams in this competition,” said Wiegman of Ireland. “We want to play well and control the game a little more than the last time we played against them.”

The absence of McCabe could give Izzy Atkinson a chance to shine down the left flank while Jess Ziu needs to maintain her dazzling form coming off the right.

In reality, it will probably be a busy night for Everton’s player of the season, Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan.

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent