Ireland are out of the World Cup, after their 0-0 draw with Nigeria on Monday concluded their involvement in the group stages down under.
The draw for Group B meant Ireland were always going to be hard pushed to get any form of result, in a group which included the hosts, the Olympic champions, and one of the strongest teams from Africa.
That they were close to earning results against both Canada and Australia, and did indeed earn a draw against Nigeria, is a credit to the Irish players - though the discussion in the aftermath of the draw in Brisbane has been unexpectedly dominated by an apparent fallout between manager Vera Pauw and captain Katie McCabe.
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Ireland WNT: Vera Pauw and Katie McCabe in dramatic clash after Nigeria draw
Katie McCabe was not at her best on Monday against Nigeria, but she has been essential to Ireland's efforts not only in Australia, but throughout the memorable qualifying campaign.
The Arsenal star contributed the only goal of the finals for Ireland in sensational fashion against Canada, and earned worldwide praise for her efforts in the group opener against Australia.
Amid the frustration of Monday's game against Nigeria, McCabe and her manager Vera Pauw seemed to have a heated discussion on the sidelines with around 20 minutes to go - something noted by RTÉ commentator George Hamilton during the game.
The revelation post-match has come from Pauw, who revealed that the disagreement stemmed from McCabe asking her to take off midfielder Sinead Farrelly in favour of "fresh legs," with Pauw refusing to take Farrelly off in protest.
READ HERE: Courtney Brosnan Reveals What Was Said In Ireland Huddle After Nigeria Draw
Elaborating on the disagreement post-match, Pauw would say in her press conference:
Why would we change? If Katie McCabe says that she wants a change, that doesn't mean [we change].
She's not the coach, eh? Everybody was doing so well - I said, 'what do you want Katie, take our best player off?'
We made the changes when they were necessary.
A player is allowed to be emotional, is allowed to say that, it's fine. But during the game I step back and analyse and make changes that are necessary.
In response to the revelations from Pauw, McCabe tweeted an emoji with a zipped mouth, seemingly in a thinly-veiled reference to the controversy.
🤐
— Katie McCabe (@Katie_McCabe11) July 31, 2023
Pauw's discussions with the FAI over a prospective contract renewal have dragged on, with question marks surrounding the Dutch coach's future.
Earlier this year, Pauw was accused of misconduct in a previous stint as manager of the Houston Dash, surrounding her treatment of players and alleged body shaming.
It is an allegation Pauw has vehemently denied. The FAI have stated that they back Pauw's stance, and the players have largely stayed silent on the matter.
When McCabe was asked for her thoughts on the situation earlier in July, the Ireland captain said:
I can't answer for each and every player. Of course Vera has a style of management that we're used to now over the last two years. It’s something we've worked together, we’ve argued with each other of course. You're never going to get on 100% with your manager at times.
She pushes me and I push her. In my opinion and from my personal relationship with Vera, of course, we've clashed many a times but we’re always professional enough to make sure we are fully focused for the team.
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