KYRA CARUSA MET Hollywood actor Brendan Gleeson last week, and the Ireland striker is keeping with the movie theme as she targets historic Euros qualification.
Having drawn 1-1 in the first leg, Ireland are now hoping to script a Hollywood ending at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow night.
The winner takes it all, progressing to their first European Championships in Switzerland next summer.
Carusa is a big fan of visualisation, and has been picturing qualifying for the showpiece tournament.
“It’s a balance between understanding it and having that confidence and visualising, obviously not focusing completely on it,” the US-born striker explains. “You’re present.
“Like you’re in the previews of the movie — the movie is to come, you’re in the present, you can have confidence that the movie will be there, you’ve bought the ticket, but knowing that what you’re doing now is what’s going to get you there.”
The cinematic parallels remind The 42 of last week’s chance encounter with Gleeson.
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Carusa is happy to detail the random rendezvous in the hotel lift. The Dublin-born actor started a brief conversation before they jumped in a photograph together, along with Julie-Ann Russell, Caitlin Hayes, Tyler Toland, Diane Caldwell, Heather Payne, Sophie Whitehouse and goalkeeping coach Emma Byrne.
“Casually he gets into the elevator and immediately you’re like, ‘Okay!,’” Carusa recalls.
“I mean the coolest thing is he gets in the elevator and he looks at me and goes, ‘Oh you guys are playing on Friday aren’t you?’ Just straight off the bat, and [you] love to know that people know about it. He’s on vacation and he still recognises that, that is very cool.
“It was brief, it wasn’t too many floor rides. When we got off, I definitely was like, ‘Ladies let’s take a photo.’
“He was happy to take a photo with us. He knew what we were playing for and he knew what was on the line. That’s just true to us, just rocking into an elevator and him being confident enough to be like, ‘Hey!’”
“Weird full circle,” the San Diego Wave star grins on the movie theme.
Ruesha Littlejohn got Ireland back in the picture on Friday night after her long-range effort prompted an Olivia Clark own goal, and cancelled out Lily Woodham’s opener.
As a result, it’s all to play for at Lansdowne Road tomorrow night, with over 23,000 tickets sold for the “next cup final”.
“Everyone is coming with their popcorn so they better sit tight because it’s going to be wild,” Carusa says. “I’m expecting to get them off their feet.”
Should Ireland triumph, they will repeat their World Cup play-off success of Hampden Park two years ago. Several players have spoken about not wanting to be one-tournament wonders, and the need to secure consistent qualification.
Not to labour the cinema concept, but one could say the sequel awaits.
“We’ve been in that position and we’ve been there, and we’ve been on the other side of it,” Carusa concludes.
“We’ve also been a position where it didn’t work out in our favour. We remember how we felt in those moments where we were that close, and we remember how we felt when we did it. It’s just reminding yourself that you never want to be in those [bad] moments again.
“There is trust in this process, there is trust in everyone around you. The movie is to come, the sequel is on the way.”
Ireland v Wales, Euro 2025 play-off final, second leg — Tuesday, 7.30pm, Aviva Stadium, RTÉ 2
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Ireland aim for Hollywood ending after chance meeting with Brendan Gleeson
KYRA CARUSA MET Hollywood actor Brendan Gleeson last week, and the Ireland striker is keeping with the movie theme as she targets historic Euros qualification.
Several Irish players bumped into Gleeson in their Cardiff hotel on Thursday amidst preparations for their Euro 2025 play-off final against Wales.
Having drawn 1-1 in the first leg, Ireland are now hoping to script a Hollywood ending at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow night.
The winner takes it all, progressing to their first European Championships in Switzerland next summer.
Carusa is a big fan of visualisation, and has been picturing qualifying for the showpiece tournament.
“It’s a balance between understanding it and having that confidence and visualising, obviously not focusing completely on it,” the US-born striker explains. “You’re present.
The cinematic parallels remind The 42 of last week’s chance encounter with Gleeson.
Carusa is happy to detail the random rendezvous in the hotel lift. The Dublin-born actor started a brief conversation before they jumped in a photograph together, along with Julie-Ann Russell, Caitlin Hayes, Tyler Toland, Diane Caldwell, Heather Payne, Sophie Whitehouse and goalkeeping coach Emma Byrne.
“Casually he gets into the elevator and immediately you’re like, ‘Okay!,’” Carusa recalls.
“I mean the coolest thing is he gets in the elevator and he looks at me and goes, ‘Oh you guys are playing on Friday aren’t you?’ Just straight off the bat, and [you] love to know that people know about it. He’s on vacation and he still recognises that, that is very cool.
“It was brief, it wasn’t too many floor rides. When we got off, I definitely was like, ‘Ladies let’s take a photo.’
“He was happy to take a photo with us. He knew what we were playing for and he knew what was on the line. That’s just true to us, just rocking into an elevator and him being confident enough to be like, ‘Hey!’”
“Weird full circle,” the San Diego Wave star grins on the movie theme.
Ruesha Littlejohn got Ireland back in the picture on Friday night after her long-range effort prompted an Olivia Clark own goal, and cancelled out Lily Woodham’s opener.
As a result, it’s all to play for at Lansdowne Road tomorrow night, with over 23,000 tickets sold for the “next cup final”.
“Everyone is coming with their popcorn so they better sit tight because it’s going to be wild,” Carusa says. “I’m expecting to get them off their feet.”
Should Ireland triumph, they will repeat their World Cup play-off success of Hampden Park two years ago. Several players have spoken about not wanting to be one-tournament wonders, and the need to secure consistent qualification.
Not to labour the cinema concept, but one could say the sequel awaits.
“We’ve been in that position and we’ve been there, and we’ve been on the other side of it,” Carusa concludes.
“We’ve also been a position where it didn’t work out in our favour. We remember how we felt in those moments where we were that close, and we remember how we felt when we did it. It’s just reminding yourself that you never want to be in those [bad] moments again.
“There is trust in this process, there is trust in everyone around you. The movie is to come, the sequel is on the way.”
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