1. Swede nothing in damaging defeats
This was the window Ireland would have been targetting in their Euro 2025 qualifying Group of Death.
Instead, they finished it empty-handed after a 3-0 defeat in Dublin and a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss in Stockholm.
Last night’s result at Friends Arena was particularly painful; Magdalena Eriksson’s 84th-minute winner from a corner avoidable, but ultimately settling the score.
Sweden are the lowest-ranked team of Ireland’s group opponents at sixth in the world. The Olympic silver medallists finished third at last year’s World Cup, but the Girls In Green did secure a famous result against them in qualifying for that tournament.
The sides drew 1-1 in Gothenburg in April 2022 — the Swedes were 1-0 winners in the group opener after an own goal — but a repeat of that was a bridge too far.
Eileen Gleeson’s side must now pick themselves up for July’s double-header against England and France, who they previously lost to 2-0 and 1-0 respectively.
2. Sub-par Katie McCabe
The Irish captain hasn’t enjoyed her finest form in green in 2024.
She has had a hectic schedule over the past few months, but McCabe hasn’t exactly hit her own high standards for Ireland.
The Arsenal star played left-wing back at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night and was further pinned back on the left side of a back four yesterday, where she struggled to keep tabs on Johanna Rytting Kaneryd on both occasions.
On Friday night, all three of Sweden’s goals came down McCabe’s side. She was keen to attack but got caught out of position higher up the field, leaving gaps for Kaneryd to exploit.
She was forced to sit in and stay more compact in the rematch, but was strikingly beaten for pace and couldn’t offer the creative spark Ireland so badly needed when rare openings did arise. Could how the team is set up be a contributing factor to her regressing form? Her partner-in-crime Denise O’Sullivan, too, is a major loss with a knee injury.
McCabe picked up an avoidable yellow card in the second half in Stockholm for a clumsy challenge on Kaneryd, meaning she’s suspended the next match against England.
Her frustration boiling over summed up her sub-par double-header.
3. Goalscoring drought continues
Caitlin Hayes’ 86th-minute header in the 6-1 Uefa Nations League win over Northern Ireland at Windsor Park on 5 December 2024 was the last goal Ireland scored.
Leanne Kiernan did put the ball in the back of the net in a friendly against Italy in February, but it was deemed offside as the game finished 0-0.
Chances have been few and far between since, but the Girls In Green couldn’t convert two golden chances in the first half at the Aviva Stadium on Friday.
First, Lily Agg saw an effort roll by the far post as she failed to break the deadlock, before Amber Barrett went from provider to near-goalscorer as she skied a header at 1-0 down.
There were no clear-cut chances yesterday as Ireland again failed to pick apart higher-ranked opposition. In 10 of such games in the past 14 months, Ireland have scored just once: Katie McCabe’s Olimpico against Canada at the World Cup last July.
On the contrary, they have conceded 16 times — seven in this campaign alone — keeping just one clean sheet.
4. Green shoots
Caitlin Hayes was Ireland’s standout player across both games. The Celtic centre-half has been a revelation since declaring last September, playing every single minute of her 12 caps to date.
She was Player of the Match on Friday night, but despite another towering defensive performance in Stockholm, the electric Jess Ziu pipped her to the award.
Ziu was a bright spark across both games; lively in attack and solid in defence, the West Ham youngster returning from an ACL injury stronger than ever.
Leanne Kiernan and Amber Barrett offered Gleeson food for thought in the stiker’s department, while goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan ensured the scorelines weren’t worse for Ireland, though will be hugely disappointed with last night’s concession.
On the injury front, O’Sullivan’s absence across both games was a hammer blow.
The losses of Heather Payne and Niamh Fahey were also keenly felt, while Gleeson will be monitoring the fitness of Louise Quinn for England and France after her first-half withdrawal at Friends Arena.
It seems it was just fatigue — something Ireland must contend with mentally as they round out the Group of Death.
