The Republic Of Ireland Qualify For The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

On a night of high drama in the European play-offs, the Republic of Ireland qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals by defeating Scotland 1-0 at Hampden Park in Glasgow. It is first time ‘The Girls in Green’, as they are commonly known, have ever reached a major tournament.

With three play-off finals being played around the continent on the same evening, a convoluted system meant that only two of the winners would qualify tonight directly for the World Cup finals. The third winner would drop into another set of inter-confederation play-offs to be played in New Zealand next February. Which two of the three would qualify tonight was dependent on a combination of their previous group stage results and their scoreline tonight creating as much confusion as excitement.

The top-ranked sides, Switzerland and Iceland, both only required to win their matches in regulation time to fill the two berths. However with Iceland going out following an extra-time defeat to Portugal, the winner of the third tie between Scotland and the Republic of Ireland knew at half-time that their destiny was now in their own hands.

A second-half goal by substitute Amber Barrett of Turbine Potsdam was enough to seal the win the Republic of Ireland required. As she celebrated the goal, Barrett kissed the black armband she was wearing in tribute to the ten people who died following an explosion at a petrol station in Creeslough, a village in County Donegal, just four days earlier.

The ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted next summer by Australia and New Zealand has been expanded to include 32 teams, an increase of eight teams from the previous finals in France in 2019. Ireland, the 41st different nation to qualify for the finals, will also be the fifth debutantes at the 2023 tournament alongside Morocco, Philippines, Vietnam and Zambia.

Having never previously reached the finals of a major competition, the tournament will be a fitting way to mark the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Football Association of Ireland next year. It is only five years, since the women’s team threatened to boycott a match after being treated like ‘fifth-class citizens’ by their federation by being forced to share tracksuits with underage teams and change in airport toilets.

Coached by Vera Pauw, who previously managed the national teams of Scotland, Russia and South Africa, as well as taking her native Netherlands to the semi-finals of UEFA Women’s Euro 2009, Ireland have steadily improved since her appointment in 2019. They narrowly missed out on reaching the play-offs for UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 but nonetheless handed Pauw a two-year contract extension to give her the opportunity to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

That confidence has now been rewarded, as after finishing second in their qualification group behind Sweden, their record was sufficient for them to be seeded directly into the play-off final where they were drawn away to the winners of last week’s match between Scotland and Austria.

With Scotland coming through that one, the Republic of Ireland had to overcome the passionate home support of the ‘Tartan Army’ with the match being played in front of a record crowd of 10,708 at the Scottish national stadium, Hampden Park. Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan was the early hero for the Irish, saving a penalty taken by Real Madrid star Caroline Weir, which was awarded after a handball in the penalty area.

Despite having three-quarters of possession during the game, Scotland created few other clear chances with Ireland finishing up with more shots on target. After qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2017 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, Scotland have now missed out on two successive major tournaments.

The Republic of Ireland will discover who they will face at the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup when the finals draw takes place in Auckland, New Zealand on October 22.