Ireland suffered a 1-0 defeat against co-hosts Australia in their debut match at the FIFA Women's World Cup.
The match took place at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, with a massive crowd of 75,000 fans cheers welcoming the players before kickoff. Both teams also shared a moment of silence that was observed for the victims of the tragic Auckland shooting which took place this morning just before New Zealand faced Sweden in their opening World Cup match.
The game began with both sides showcasing much determination. Australia went into the match with a setback as their star striker, Sam Kerr, was unable to play due to a calf injury sustained in a training session the previous day.
STARTING XI | Australia v Ireland
Our line-up for our biggest game yet…
Katie McCabe captains us in our first @FIFAWWC game 🇮🇪#COYGIG | #OUTBELIEVE pic.twitter.com/UrJkQDzj1C— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) July 20, 2023
While the Matilda's held more possession, Ireland's solid defence held firm in the first half, leading to a goalless scoreline at halftime.
Shortly into the second half, Australia managed to break the deadlock after Marissa Sheva's clumsy challenge resulted in a penalty for the Matildas. Australian captain Steph Catley made no mistake, firing a brilliant top-corner shot to put her team ahead.
Ireland fought valiantly in the latter stages of the match, pushing for an equaliser, but their efforts were met with missed opportunities.
Despite the 1-0 defeat, manager Vera Pauw commended her team's performance and expressed her pride in their effort on the world stage.
Vera Pauw predicted the game would be decided by a mistake and so it proved, however the manager is immensely proud of her Irish team
🇦🇺 1-0 🇮🇪#coygig #wwc2023
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📱Updates https://t.co/YLBQxszzTF pic.twitter.com/El7xadOuts— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 20, 2023
Captain Katie McCabe also seemed optimistic post-match, reiterating that her team will look forward to bettering their performance against Canada next week Wednesday.
'The second half shows a better account of ourselves'
Lots of positives for Katie McCabe as she looks ahead to the game against Canada.
🇦🇺 1-0 🇮🇪#coygig #wwc2023
📺Watch https://t.co/2W5kFtUgZE
📻Listen https://t.co/QHSJNYlfx8
📱Updates https://t.co/YLBQxszzTF pic.twitter.com/tgLExhBUXe— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 20, 2023
