In 2020, as sport returned to a world rocked by Covid, a 1-0 loss to Ukraine in Kyiv meant the only way was up for the WNT. Kyiv was rock bottom for the Ireland WNT and severely dashed their chances at qualifying for the 2022 Euros which were to take place in England.
That devastating moment however is pinpointed as the catalyst for the blaze of World Cup qualification glory that was to come, marking one of many matches that made us.
Before kick-off Ireland were sitting pretty in second place of Group I, behind heavy hitters Germany, and crucially ahead of their stiffest competition and that night’s opponents, Ukraine.
A win or a draw would have had them well on their way to qualification, either as one of the three best runners up (if other results went their way), or to guarantee a play-off spot, although that ideal wasn’t to materialise.
Ukraine would hold the cards as well as a game in hand over the Girls In Green were they to come away with a loss, with the alternative of taking points from Germany in their final group game not a prospect Vera Pauw’steam were looking to barter with.
That’s exactly what unfolded however, with the Obolon Arena on the 23rd of October 2020 the venue where Ireland’s Euro 2022 and first major tournament hopes would go up in flames.
An OG the undoing of the better side
Despite being the better side throughout, lady luck wasn’t shining or even momentarily flashing over the Irish WNT on that fatal night in Kyiv.
Dominating the early exchanges, the team, led by captain Katie McCabe earned three corners in the opening 10 minutes and were peppering the opposition keeper with shots from distance.
McCabe herself narrowly missed out on notching the inaugural score, skimming the crossbar from a freekick, but the fortune of the Girls in Green was yet to turn from bad to even worse.
With 25 minutes of Irish momentum surpassed, Ukraine were the ones who would tally the first and only score of the game, and not even through their own doing.
Under pressure from Ukraine’s captain Daryna Apanaschenko and danger-woman Nicole Kozlova, a miscommunication between centurion Áine O’Gorman and two time capped but unknown quantity at the time Courtney Brosnan saw a back pass cross into their own net and Ireland to fall behind.
Disaster for Ireland as a mix-up between Aine O'Gorman and keeper Courtney Brosnan leads to an own-goal and Ukraine take the lead https://t.co/DCZgAvv4go #UKRIRL pic.twitter.com/Jl3XbdANoi
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 23, 2020
The hosts then had a lead to protect, but remained under siege by the Irish WNT.
Just over five minutes later Denise O’Sullivan drew a foul in the box and picked up a much needed saving grace penalty. McCabe stepped up to take it but heartbreakingly the woodwork was to deny her for the second time in the game.
Ireland kept plucking away and chances surfaced through their now notorious dynamic duo in O’Sullivan and McCabe, but also through others like Rianna Jarrett, Heather Payne and Louise Quinn.
None of these were to prove fruitful however and when Croatian referee Ivana Martincic called time on the clash it was Ukraine who had secured the entirety of the spoils.
A lifeline for Ireland as O'Sullivan is brought down in the box but McCabe hits the bar again from the penalty https://t.co/DCZgAvv4go #UKRIRL pic.twitter.com/rmLIKTwlgD
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 23, 2020
Disaster In Kyiv Meant The Only Way Was Up For The WNT
23 October 2020; Republic of Ireland head coach Vera Pauw ahead of the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Qualifier match between Ukraine and Republic of Ireland at the Obolon Arena in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
After the game Pauw described how her side “completely dominated” but simply ran out of time and lacked a finished product.
“Time went ticking and there was hardly any time left to get that goal” she said.
"We had a game-plan that we had planned for all of the different scenarios and we were handling the game well, albeit without scoring. I think everyone could see that we were the better team but the ball just would not go in for us.
"We know what we need against Germany so we will sit down and come up with a game-plan. We know how good they are and how difficult it will be against them, but we have to plan for that once we move past this game."
23 October 2020; Aine O'Gorman, left, and Katie McCabe of Republic of Ireland leave the pitch following the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Qualifier match between Ukraine and Republic of Ireland at the Obolon Arena in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Difficult might have been the understatement of the year, but while Ireland put it up to the highflyers Germany, the task of hauling three points against them demonstrated to be too much.
Prior to the match in Tallaght Stadium Germany had scored 37 goals and conceded zero during their six group matches, and while Ireland were to garner respect for breaking that trend during their 3-1 loss, there’s no doubt they would have traded that sentiment for points in an instant.
Ukraine on the other hand snatched their chances versus Greece and Montenegro to edge Ireland out of the second spot, cementing the inevitability that Ireland were left on the outside looking in at the tournament so close to them in proximity.
That said though, their time would come, and without that hurt it’s hard to know would there have been such an overwhelming all-consuming drive towards the next qualification campaign- the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
