REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Manager Eileen Gleeson paid a visit to Páirc Uí Chaoimh a few months ago with one eye on what awaited her team at the iconic venue this week.
Home to Cork GAA, groundsmen were out this morning converting the pitch into a football surface in preparation for Republic of Ireland v France in the Euro 2025 qualifiers. By the time the media scrum walked out to greet Gleeson and captain Katie McCabe with recorders and questions, the soccer goal posts were already up. The stands all around us were decorated in Outbelieve advertising boards. A new lick of white paint outlining the dimensions of a soccer field had already been applied.
That brings relief to McCabe. She was initially startled when she saw the width of a GAA pitch unfold before her on first glance. She laughs when she realises where she is and the work that is going on around her to put her in more familiar surroundings. Some of her teammates know this place. Cork is home to Denise O’Sullivan, Megan Connolly and Eva Mangan. Colin Healy is a Rebel too. The occasion is having an affect on their accents.
“Colin, Denise, Megs, Eva, they’re all getting stronger and stronger,” McCabe laughs. Even [RTÉ Soccer Correspondent] Tony O’Donoghue over there, he’s happy to be back as well.
“Lily Agg is still working on hers!” she added, referring to her teammate’s roots in Cobh.
This isn’t the first time that Páirc Uí Chaoimh has hosted a football game. A tribute match to honour the memory of Liam Miller was held here in 2018.
As the doors open once again to the sport, both Ireland captain and manager are delighted with the efforts to make them feel at home.
“The work they’ve been doing is phenomenal,” says Gleeson. “It looks amazing. We’re really enjoying being here in Cork.”
This is Ireland’s final group game in the qualifying campaign. The teams come into the tie with contrasting ambitions as their paths to Switzerland start to diverge. Ireland are aiming for a seeded place in the play-offs while France, current leaders in Group A3, are out to top the group. Fast, direct ball is what Gleeson expects to see from the visitors after the 6pm kick-off.
And with that in mind, the focus for her team is to avoid conceding an early goal.
“It’s been a feature in our games,” says Gleeson referring to Alessia Russo’s fifth-minute goal in a 2-1 win for England last Friday. The French also struck a blow in the seventh minute when Ireland travelled to Metz for their opening qualifier back in April.
“We need to make sure we’re not chasing early,” Gleeson continues before thinking back to the French game and the Marie-Antoinette Katoto goal which she feels was “preventable.”
Throughout the campaign, Gleeson has watched her side evolve. She points to their performance last Friday and the improved transitional movements in her side’s build-up play. A more composed approach to holding possession was evident too.
When asked what changed after England’s goal to help her side grow more into the contest, she said:
“We changed the flat three to a two and a one. And the strikers were meant to be engaging higher so we had to reinforce that message, that they were the first line of the press.
“That wasn’t happening so the England centre-backs obviously had a lot of time on the ball that we didn’t want them to have, and then (Keira) Walsh was picking up the ball so we just affected that area and then got the press on. That first 20 minutes felt like hours but I think they did really take on that change and it helped. We were much more secure then.”
Julie Ann-Russell’s goal in the 94th minute was Ireland’s first in this qualification campaign. They have conceded nine times. Gleeson agrees that her side’s opening goal of 2024 brings a “psychological boost” to the group but highlights that her team were always confident that they could score.
“I think there’s a reality around this group and who we’re playing,” she explains.” I know people were pulling stats out of here and there but if you look at the games between those teams in the group, against France and England – they’re not high-scoring games. You’re playing against top opposition.
“We didn’t think we were never going to score again.”
Russell’s performance off the bench has put her in the conversation regarding tomorrow’s line-up, according to Gleeson. And her goal strengthens Ireland’s chances of earning a seeded play-off spot and avoiding a more difficult to next summer’s tournament. Poland, who are Ireland’s nearest rivals, are four behind on goal difference.
“It does have to affect,” the Ireland boss replies when asked about the importance of their battle with Poland.
“It has to kind of be the starting point, goal difference. We can’t control anything that goes on in the Iceland-Poland game with what we do here, but if we throw caution to the wind and concede five goals they have a better goal difference so you have to be realistic. It’s international football, we want to have that seeded place and do everything we can do. It’s definitely the starting point in the conversation.”
Gleeson is happy to report a clean bill of health in the squad. And the welcoming atmosphere of the locals is making their trip to Cork all the more enjoyable.
A French invasion awaits.
“We go on little walks and we’re getting great support, it’s really positive, the girls are loving it, the hotel is brilliant.”
