Nations League playoff, first leg: Republic of Ireland 4 (McCabe pen 45, 62; Evrard OG 54, Sheva 66) Belgium 2 (Wullaert 52; Detruyer 82)
A magical performance by Katie McCabe saw the Republic of Ireland captain score twice to overrun a fancied Belgium side.
Considering the importance of this Nations League playoff, and the venue being the Aviva Stadium, her display will be remembered for a long time.
Agonisingly, McCabe was denied a hat-trick as what would have been her second, a curling effort from 40 yards went down as an own goal having hit the post before finding the net off Belgian goalkeeper Nicky Evrard.
Victory was guaranteed long before time when Marissa Sheva thumped a fourth Irish goal after McCabe’s corner sat up for the Pennsylvanian, although Ireland may regret conceding a second Belgium strike from substitute Marie Detruyer.
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Nonetheless, Carla Ward’s team travel to Heverlee for the second leg on Tuesday in a strong position to guarantee a World Cup playoff, regardless of how they perform among the top European nations next year.
If they can finish the job.
This Irish group have a habit of starting slow before growing into games. For over a decade, the players take their cue from Denise O’Sullivan. When the North Carolina skipper pushes the tempo, everyone springs into action.
They needed 11 minutes on this cold October night before a boisterous crowd of 14,180 were given something to scream about. O’Sullivan knifed into a tackle, won possession and slipped a pass that invited Kyra Carusa to score her 11th international goal.
However, Carusa hesitated, glanced inside and decided to play a percentage ball across the goalmouth for Emily Murphy. The delivery was poor and forced the Newcastle United winger to stretch and miss the target.
At least Belgium’s Laura Deloose failed to punish Ireland down the other end. Deloose pounced when Caitlin Hayes blocked an initial effort by Jarne Teulings, only for the Anderlecht defender to have her first shot denied by Aoife Mannion before she put a second look wide of Grace Moloney’s far post.
Belgium are seven places higher than Ireland in the Fifa world rankings, after Ward’s team dropped to 27th, but it looked the other way around as O’Sullivan and Sheva flashed around midfield and Ruesha Littlejohn threatened to control the game.
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Ward, much like her predecessors Vera Pauw and Eileen Gleeson, is charged with positioning McCabe in an attacking role. A left back by trade for Arsenal, the 30 year old was freed to attack by the selection of Chloe Mustaki at left centre back.
It worked beyond all expectations as McCabe, unburdened by defensive duties, roamed off the left.
The initial reward came three minutes before half-time when a McCabe cross bobbled about the Belgian box until Jessie Stapleton’s volley hit Mariam Toloba’s arm. German referee Franziska Wildeuer instantly signalled a penalty before VAR backed the decision.
It was harsh on Toloba, whose hand was turned into her chest. McCabe sent Evrard the wrong way before rolling her 30th Ireland goal into the bottom corner.
As the Irish players ran back over halfway, Moloney raced out of goal to tell them to slow down and keep celebrating. No point giving the visitors an opportunity in first-half injury-time.
Neither McCabe nor O’Sullivan are having stellar seasons at their clubs, but Ireland’s world-class pair relished the bright lights of the Aviva. McCabe went through her repertoire of looping shots, corners and free-kicks while O’Sullivan covered a ridiculous amount of grass.
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Belgium’s equaliser came seven minutes into the second-half as Tessa Wullaert controlled a speculative long ball from Deloose before catching out Moloney with a lob.
The Aviva was silent for less than two minutes, mainly because McCabe was in the mood to destroy the opposition. The Evrard own goal came from McCabe’s football brain; a clean touch got the ball away from Feli Delacauw before she spotted Evrard’s positioning and struck a sumptuous shot off the far post before it bounced off the goalkeeper’s shoulder to give Ireland a 2-1 lead.
McCabe’s second came after Murphy tore down the right, on to a lovely pass by O’Sullivan before the winger checked her run and saw the captain on the edge of the box. It still required a perfect first touch before McCabe leathered another past Evrard.
Sheva’s stunning strike five minutes later brought the house down.
That should have been that, but Belgium snatched a lifeline when Detruyer ghosted into the Irish box to keep their chances of staying in Nations League A next year afloat.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Moloney; Mannion, Stapleton, Hayes, Mustaki, McCabe; O’Sullivan (Finn 75), Littlejohn (Toland 60), Sheva; Murphy, Carusa (Noonan 75).
BELGIUM: Evard; Kees, Tysiak, Cayman, Deloose; Dhont (Detruyer 46), De Caigny (Mertens 46), Toloba (Petry 83); Wullaert, Teulings, Delacauw (Reynders 63).
Referee: Franziska Wildeuer (Germany).
