The last time Ireland brought a draw home from the first leg of a playoff, the outcome descended into disaster. Martin O’Neill’s side were on a solid trajectory carving out a 2017 scoreless draw in Copenhagen. They even got the return leg off to a flyer, forging ahead early on but a combination of Christian Eriksen’s brilliance and the manager’s interval panic resulted in 5-1 humbling by Denmark.
Once again, the decider for a place at a major tournament tomorrow is Lansdowne Road. Yet this is the women’s team with only joyful memories of playoffs. Their tournament drought ended two years on a famous night at Hampden Park, albeit they’d lost a ‘playoff for a playoff’ in 2020 against Ukraine.
Friday’s 1-1 draw in Cardiff might have shown that both Wales and Ireland are capable of prevailing but the Girls in Green didn’t need to book their ticket over the first 90 minutes. Distilling their European Championship destiny down to a Cup final against a Celtic cousin they’re ahead of in Fifa’s rankings, however narrowly, was a scenario Ireland would have taken. Since their World Cup high watermark in July 2023 – and the scalping of manager Vera Pauw shortly after – Ireland have played 17 matches.
All but two were friendlies but the seeded nature of the Euros always meant a winnable playoff final would represent judgement day. By holding out for a draw in the first leg, comfortably too, all the expectation is on their shoulders to complete the mission. It could take 90 minutes, 120, or potentially a penalty shootout but one of the nations will be heading to a first Euros in Switzerland next July.
“It’s like we’re in the previews of a movie, bought the ticket, the movie is to come, confident of knowing that what you’re doing now is going to get you there,” summarised Ireland striker Kyra Carusa when asked about back-to-back qualifications. “Everyone is coming with their popcorn, so they better sit tight because it’s going to be wild. But I’m expecting to get them off their feet.
" Around half of the national stadium’s 51,000 seats are expected to be occupied for the 7.30pm kick-off. It is just their fourth game at the venue for the women’s team, a belated privilege they were first granted for the Nations League opener against Northern Ireland 14 months ago.
While the men’s team clinched qualification for the 2012 and 2016 Euros at the stadium, this is the first opportunity for the women’s team to create a legion of memories. “I miss the Aviva and it’s contagious energy,” noted American-born Carusa. “It’s us through and through; we know what’s on the line and what we’re playing for but are aware that being in the Aviva can make an impact.
Fans can play a massive role in what we do. We’re asking them to be there because we are going to be there.” Minimal changes in the Ireland team are anticipated.
Load management applying to Friday’s player of the match, Ruesha Littlejohn, will decide the extent of her involvement but Jessie Stapleton is an able replacement. Irrespective of selection, Wales manager Rhian Wilkinson is still attaching the ‘physical’ tag to Ireland. Styles, according to the former Canadian centurion, are poles apart, with her principle of purity a recurrent narrative around this showdown.
She’s been on stronger ground if an interval lead was brought with them on their flight but the desire to prove their ground game is supreme remains. “Ireland haven’t seen anything yet,” vowed their captain Angharad James, clearly regretting their failure to create a chasm..
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'It's going to be wild' - Ireland out to make another breakthrough in Wales playoff
Eileen Gleeson is preparing her side for the return leg in Dublin in Tuesday.