Time and again, Republic of Ireland Women's National Team Manager Vera Pauw has described her players like a 'bunch of tigers' due to their brave, energetic and battling performances.
Ahead of the next two games in qualifying for the 2023 FIFA World Cup, Pauw visited the Tiger compound at Dublin Zoo to encourage fans to come out in support of the 'Tallaght Tigers'.
The task of taking on Slovakia (Thursday, November 25th) and Georgia (Tuesday, November 30th) - both at home in Tallaght Stadium - is one that Pauw is not taking lightly.
🗣"From my first game, I saw how the players performed and felt that they were like a bunch of tigers" - Vera Pauw
Come support the Tallaght Tigers 🐅
🎟 DUO Package 👉 https://t.co/ewPnEKfSdz
🎟🇮🇪 v 🇸🇰 👉 https://t.co/4N7VMuhn24
🎟🇮🇪 v 🇬🇪 👉 https://t.co/YN5Nj9oqsU#COYGIG pic.twitter.com/DWmALIwzeI— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) November 18, 2021
Pauw said: "From my very first game with Ireland, in that win over Ukraine in front of a record crowd, I looked at the players and how they performed and I just felt that they were like a bunch of tigers.
"When I say that what I mean is that they never give up, they work together, they take on any opponent without fear and they are really proud of what they are fighting for. So the nickname of 'Tallaght Tigers' has kind of stuck ever since, with each performance getting better and better.
"Thanks to the games that we have played against higher-ranked opponents, we have learned how to sacrifice ourselves for the team. The players learned what it means to take on any opponent without fear and now we have a chance to take the next step in our qualification process.
"We are currently preparing for our next two challenges, against Slovakia and Georgia, and we cannot underestimate them. We need to be sharp and on our toes, ready to attack, just like a tiger. We have so much faith in what we are trying to achieve - players & staff - but we have to build on the win against Finland and find a way to take maximum points from these two games."
Pauw will reveal her squad selection for those two crucial games on Friday morning with tickets selling well for both qualifiers in Tallaght Stadium.
SECURE YOUR SEAT NOW
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifying Round - Group A
Republic of Ireland v Slovakia
Thursday, November 25th
Tallaght Stadium
KO 19:00
LIVE on RTÉ2
#IRLSVK
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifying Round - Group A
Republic of Ireland v Georgia
Tuesday, November 30th
KO 19:00
LIVE on RTÉ2
#IRLGEO
