It was heartbreak for Ireland in Perth on Wednesday, as their hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stages were ended by a tight defeat to Canada.
The game had started fantastically well for Ireland, with Katie McCabe scoring the first ever goal for the Girls in Green at a major tournament in spectacular fashion after just four minutes.
A solid first-half performance had Ireland pushing for a second, before an own-goal from Megan Connolly just before half-time tipped the balance of play back in Canada's favour. The Canadians did not look back after Adriana Leon put them 2-1 ahead after the break, and it was ultimately to be the end of Ireland's World Cup hopes.
There is still one game left for Ireland, against Nigeria next Monday, but it will be tough for the players in the squad to pick themselves up, after two brilliant performances were met with two defeats against Australia and Canada.
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Ireland v Canada: Katie McCabe in tears after outstanding performance
Captain Katie McCabe was, as expected, outstanding once again on Wednesday. Not only did she score Ireland's first goal of this (or any) World Cup, but she also excelled in open play throughout, causing panic in the Canadian defence any time she got the ball.
26 July 2023; Katie McCabe of Republic of Ireland, 11, celebrates with teammates after scoring her side's first goal direct from a corner kick during the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Group B match between Canada and Republic of Ireland at Perth Rectangular Stadium in Australia. Photo by Mick O'Shea/Sportsfile
McCabe has shown yet again why she is held in such high regard in European football during this tournament, and her leadership throughout has also been stellar.
Speaking to RTÉ's Tony O'Donoghue post-match, McCabe said she felt Ireland had been unlucky not to get more out of their opening games, as her and her teammates were left to wonder what might have been.
A heartbroken Katie McCabe felt Ireland 'deserved a lot more from the game' as they ultimately fell to a 2-1 defeat against Canada #FIFAWomensWorldCup2023 #rtsoccer #coygig #faiwomen pic.twitter.com/V6TmnIRHbF
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 26, 2023
She went on to sum up what she hoped this World Cup would mean for Irish football, saying that she hoped the likes of Abbie Larkin and the younger generation would push on to even greater success on the international stage in years to come:
It's bittersweet, isn't it? Of course it's nice to score and get us off to a good start - but it's results that matter in this game and at this level.
I'm heartbroken for the girls - I felt like we deserved so much more in the game.
We wanted to start the game with a lot of energy, get into Canada's faces as much as possible and put them under a lot of pressure. I felt we did that - it's just about capitalising on those moments as well.
We felt like we were in control, it was unfortunate the deflection...it's a sucker punch, just before half-time...even then, we felt we could push for another goal in the second-half.
Honestly, to captain these girls is an absolute honour, and an absolute privilege. Leading them out against Australia, of course, for the first game, and this as well, how we put a performance in. The girls stepping up, young players like Larko coming in, that's the future of this team.
I'm honestly so proud of each and every one of them, staff included, it's a joint effort. We've done so much to get here - now it's about pushing on. We know the level now, we've had experience at tournaments. We're going to be hungry for more - against Nigeria, we want to end this tournament on a high, and give the fans something to cheer about. They were absolutely immense all game.
After concluding her interview, McCabe could be seen in tears with her Ireland teammates on the pitch, in a heartbreaking conclusion to what as beeen a remarkable journey with this team.
Hopes will be high that Ireland can finish their World Cup campaign in memorable fashion on Monday, when they face Nigeria in Brisbane.
Featured image: Sportsfile
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