Caroline Weir: Euros hurt will help Scotland's World Cup bid | Route to the finals explained
Scotland take on the Republic of Ireland at Hampden Park on Tuesday in a World Cup play-off; Victory paired with a win for either Wales or Portugal could see Pedro Martinez Losa's side reach the World Cup finals which take place in Australia and New Zealand next summer
Tuesday 11 October 2022 22:26, UK
Caroline Weir admits missing out on the recent European Championship has made Scotland even more determined to seal their place at next year's World Cup.
Pedro Martinez Losa's side could secure their spot at the finals in Australia and New Zealand if they defeat Republic of Ireland in Tuesday's play-off at Hampden.
For 27-year-old Real Madrid player Weir, it would banish the anguish of not making it to the Euros in England earlier this year.
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"It's a massive personal goal to get back to the World Cup," she said. "Not being at the Euros really hit hard for a lot of the girls, especially me. I found some of it hard to watch because when you experience these tournaments it makes you want it more.
"That's exactly how we feel. It's massive, not just for us as players but for Scottish football, Scottish women's football and for the country. We're hoping we can fly that flag and hopefully qualify."
The Scots are in a buoyant mood following Thursday's 1-0 extra-time victory over Austria in front of a record crowd for a Scottish competitive women's match.
"We take great confidence from Thursday," said Weir. "Austria are a top side. I think a couple of years ago we would have struggled to come out on top in that type of game, but we really stuck together and tactically we were good.
"We're looking for more of the same against Ireland and hopefully we can come back out on top again."
How do the Women's World Cup play-offs work?
Three play-off finals take place on Tuesday as Scotland face the Republic of Ireland, Wales take on Switzerland and Portugal play Iceland.
Of the three winners, two qualify directly for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand based on points and goal tallies in the group stage and play-offs.
The third will go into the inter-confederation play-offs in New Zealand in February. That 10-team knockout will also feature Cameroon, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Haiti, Panama, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Senegal and Thailand.
As things stand, Switzerland are top on 19 points, one clear of Iceland who, in turn, are one point ahead of the Republic of Ireland.
Scotland are fourth on 16 points, the same as Portugal and while they share the same goal difference, Scotland have scored more. Wales are currently sixth on 14 points.
What do Scotland need to qualify?
On Tuesday, three points will be awarded for a win in 120 minutes, while there is only a point on offer if a team were to triumph via penalties.
Therefore, to qualify for the World Cup automatically Scotland would need either Wales to beat Switzerland or Portugal to overcome Iceland and then replicate that margin of victory over Republic of Ireland.
Martinez Losa's side are in action after the other two matches so will know what is required and either way, a victory at Hampden Park on Tuesday will at worst guarantee third spot and leave the team on the brink of just a second World Cup finals.
Wales, meanwhile, would need to beat Switzerland by two goals, while requiring Scotland to win against Republic of Ireland on penalties and need Portugal to also beat Iceland on spot-kicks.
Any win for Republic of Ireland, paired with either victory for Portugal or Wales would see them progress. Alternatively, three points for the Irish would require Iceland or Switzerland to pick up a point or less.
What are the Inter-confederation play-offs?
A 10-team tournament will be held in New Zealand from February 17-23 to decide the last three finalists.
Just one of the six teams in Tuesday's play-offs will take part with teams split into three groups: two of three and one of four, with seeding decided by FIFA ranking.
All three groups will be played as separate knockout competitions, with the winner of each qualifying for the World Cup finals. In the two three-team groups, the seeded team will go straight to the final (after playing a friendly against New Zealand or a guest nation) and meet the winners of the semi-final between the other two sides in their group.
Who has qualified for the World Cup so far?
Hosts: Australia, New Zealand
AFC: China, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam
CAF: Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia
CONCACAF: Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, United States
CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia
UEFA: Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden
Winters: Scotland have quality to reach World Cup
Former Scotland striker Suzanne Winters will be watching the game for Sky Sports:
"There is a great depth in the squad, there is more quality than just in the starting XI and I think that will be important come Tuesday.
"There might be a couple of changes for the game after a couple of the substitutes really impressed against Austria.
"I think Abi Harrison would deserve a start after her goal in last week's match."
