Soccer

Ireland will take both heart and lessons from defeat against USA

Vera Pauw’s side provided plenty of resistance while Sinead Farrelly impressed on her unlikely international debut

USA’s Emily Fox with Katie McCabe of Ireland during the friendly international at the Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Joe Callaghan
Sat Apr 08 2023 - 22:54

International Friendly: USA 2 (Fox 37, Horan 80 pen) Ireland 0

Mere minutes after the full-time whistle at Q2 Stadium Vera Pauw gathered her Ireland players in a circle. The message was surely to take heart but lessons too from a spirited Saturday display in Texas.

The United States came out on top thanks to a first-half drive from defender Emily Fox and a late Lindsey Horan penalty at the home of Austin FC. But Pauw’s World Cup-bound Ireland again proved they’re a tougher prospect than those who have come before and suffered heavy defeats at the hands of the sport’s best team.

There were plenty of positives to take to Tuesday’s second meeting between the sides: Sinead Farrelly impressed on her unlikely international debut (having taken seven years away from the game), Ireland’s scrambling defence kept them in the contest and had they taken a clutch of first-half chances things could have been very different.

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Farrelly made her debut as both Pauw and US manager Vlatko Andonovski went with their strongest-possible line-ups. Pauw deployed Farrelly in a three-strong midfield alongside Denise O’Sullivan, captain on her 100th cap, and Megan Connolly with Arsenal’s Katie McCabe pushed out to the left.

Farrelly was one of four US-born starters and Pauw had predicted she’d bring something different. “She can make the ball free,” the manager said on Friday. Within two minutes the Gotham FC star strode forward and picked up a loose ball before turning Sophia Smith inside out. Point made.

With the Texas skies, which had lashed rain and thunderstorms down on Austin all week, lightening, Ireland started brightly too. A third-minute corner from McCabe was met by Louise Quinn who headed over. On 20 minutes they would repeat the trick with Quinn getting much closer, US striker Alex Morgan’s intervention on her own goal line stopping the visitors from going into an unlikely lead.

Ireland’s Denise O’Sullivan captained the team on the occasion of her 100th cap. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

The best opening of the first half hour belonged to Ireland when on 24 minutes they peppered Alyssa Naeher’s goal, Carusa seeing efforts clawed away and blocked with O’Sullivan also denied. Pauw’s team were genuinely unlucky not to be ahead.

The manager has been adamant that playing elite opponents is part of the learning curve of her Ireland team. There was a harsh but familiar lesson here: you have to take your chances. Just 12 minutes after that assault on the US goal, the hosts found their opener.

An Ireland defence that was looking to go a full 12 months without conceding took a leaf out of the men’s team and leaked a frustrating one from outside the box. The threat came initially, again, from Smith but Ireland had multiple chances to clear. Instead the ball broke to Lavelle who passed to Fox. The right back was given too much time and space and she arrowed a low drive past Brosnan, who may have been better positioned.

It was fractured from there with an ugly knee injury to US striker Mallory Swanson, after a collision with Aoife Mannion, breaking the flow of the contest. In seven minutes of added time, Carusa had the ball in the net after a delicious header from Payne’s delivery but the striker was offside.

The second half saw the US try to build on their lead and run up the type of scoreline that has marked previous Irish visits here. But Pauw’s side are built of sterner stuff. Brosnan tipped a deflected Lavelle effort on to the post on 69 minutes and Ireland tried to find momentum for a late fightback, McCabe carrying her side forward soon after before being cynically dragged down by Julie Ertz.

Instead the US found the late goal. Diane Caldwell grappled Horan to the ground in the box and referee Carly Shaw McLaren pointed to the spot. Brosnan got a strong hand on Horan’s penalty but not strong enough.

Ireland finished on the front foot with a late corner and Diane Caldwell among those going close. A frustrating afternoon but not a dispiriting one.

USA (4-3-3): Naeher; Fox, Sauerbrunn, Girma, Dunn (Sonnett 66); Sullivan (Ertz 66), Lavelle (Sanchez 80), Horan; Smith, Morgan (Hatch 66), Swanson (Rodman 45)

Ireland (3-5-2): Brosnan; Mannion (O’Gorman 60), Quinn, Caldwell; Payne, Farrelly (Littlejohn 60), O’Sullivan, Connolly, McCabe, Sheva (O’Hanlon 86), Carusa.

Referee: Carly Shaw McLaren (Can)

Attendance: 20,593