LAST UPDATE | 19 Feb 2023

AN ENORMOUS 2023 starts where an unforgettable 2022 finished.

The Republic of Ireland women’s national team are in Marbella, where they face their first First of many in this historic World Cup year.

As preparations ramp up for their maiden major tournament appearance, the Girls In Green conclude a 10-day training camp with a first-ever meeting with China PR on Wednesday [KO 2pm / 1pm Irish time, live on RTÉ News Now].

After a run-out against Germany in a behind closed doors uncapped game on Friday, Cadiz’s Estadio Nuevo Mirador hosts this fully-fledged international friendly.

Last time they found themselves in this part of Spain, Vera Pauw’s side ran out 4-0 winners against Morocco in November. This is a completely different story though, China ranked 14th in the Fifa Women’s World rankings — 62 places above Morocco, and nine superior to Ireland at their all-time high of 23rd.

So what to expect? “China are a technically very good team who will be different from the type of teams we have come up against before,” Pauw said when the fixture was announced last month.

“Playing against them gives us the chance to experience the pressure of international football against a highly-skilled opponent.”

World Cup runners-up in 1999, The Steel Roses last year won the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the ninth time to qualify for this summer’s World Cup. While Ireland find themselves in Group B alongside Australia, Canada and Nigeria, China were drawn in Group D with England, Denmark and a inter-confederation play-off group winner in Chile, Senegal or Haiti.

Former international player Shui Qingxia is their head coach, the 1996 Olympic silver medallist and five-time Asian Cup champion taking charge in November 2021. China were at a low back then, but within a few short months, Qingxia had galvanised the team and worked her oracle as they won a record-extending ninth Asian Cup crown.

After six consecutive wins and two draws, the first defeat of Qingxia’s tenure arrived at Marbella Football Center on Thursday evening. 

To an opponent Ireland are pretty familiar with: Sweden.

The winners of their World Cup qualifying group triumphed 4-1, with goals from Chelsea’s Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and domestic top-flight star Madelen Janogy (two) leaving them in command at the break.

Xiao Yuyi pulled one back shortly after the restart, the Adelaide United striker expertly dispatching a free header after an superb delivery from PSG’s Li Mengwen. Everton defender Nathalie Björn wrapped up the scoring in the 65th minute, heading home from a corner.

A little context, perhaps. It’s fair to say the Swedes looked much-improved, dominating throughout and finding their 2019 World Cup and 2020 Olympic Games form.

Not to take away from Ireland’s monumental 1-1 draw in Gothenburg last April, but Peter Gerhardsson’s side appear to be firing on all cylinders once again, having bounced back from their disappointing 2022 European Championship semi-final defeat to eventual champions England.

China, on the other hand, had not played since a goal-less draw with Japan last July.

It’s difficult to gauge it, but Ireland will certainly take confidence from Thursday’s result, having made life difficult for Sweden in the group stages of World Cup qualification. (They fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat in their Dublin opener, before the away draw.)

“China are a very technical team,” Megan Campbell told the Irish media from Marbella earlier in the week. “They are fast-paced, good at moving the ball, so it’s getting us tested against the best opponents going into a major competition where you’re going to be playing the best of the best.”

Her team-mate, Heather Payne, echoed those sentiments. “Personally, I have never played China before so that’s very exciting. We get these opportunities to play the bigger nations now we have qualified for the World Cup.”

The majority of China’s current squad play domestically in the Chinese Women’s Super League — as opposed to Ireland’s two SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier League representatives — while the rest are scattered around the top leagues in Australia, Spain, France, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, and Scotland.

Adelaide United striker Xiao Yuyi was on the scoresheet in China's last match. AAP / PA Images AAP / PA Images / PA Images

It’s a big challenge against another higher-ranked side; a tried-and-tested means of improvement and progress through Pauw’s reign thus far.

In April, there’ll be another camp abroad, before send-off friendlies in Dublin in June and July, one of those confirmed to be against heavyweights France at Tallaght Stadium on 6 July.

Then it’s on to Australia for their first-ever major tournament.

“At the end of the day, if we want to go and play at a World Cup we have got to compete against the top nations. It’s as simple as that,” as Ruesha Littlejohn noted during the week.

“We’ve got to play against them. Obviously we are very good at our defensive duties, we are hard to break down and we are good at that. And then for us as a team going forward, we are looking at being better with the ball, trying to have a bit more possession.

“The only way to get better at that is by playing better teams, to try and get up to speed, so there is no intimidation. This is football and it’s great to test yourself against the big teams.”

An enormous 2023 starts here, against an extremely technical and very different opponent.

China, the Steel Roses, are the torn in the side Ireland need as they look to pick up where they left off.