Republic of Ireland Women's manager Vera Pauw discusses the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Finland, as they look to secure a play-off berth in their bid to reach a major tournament for the first time in their history
Friday 26 August 2022 12:33, UK
"We should have been there," Vera Pauw ruefully laments, when asked about this summer's European Championships.
As women's football took centre stage over the course of July, the Republic of Ireland team were left to watch from afar having narrowly missed out on qualification.
Nonetheless, they have gathered momentum in recent months. The team have achieved their best world ranking (26th) and are set for a record home crowd for next Thursday's crucial World Cup qualifier when Finland come to town.
The 8,000-capacity Tallaght Stadium sold out within minutes of tickets going on sale for a match where a win would guarantee a play-off berth.
"It's fantastic. I think it was within 30 minutes that the stadium was sold out. And that's the first ever [time]. The biggest crowd we had was just over 5,000. So now in 30 minutes, to have the whole stadium packed is amazing and fantastic," Pauw says.
"Probably two sides; we have earned that, but it was also during the Euros, all the hype of the Euros. We are so happy that that comes together. And the crowd will support us."
To have the whole stadium packed is amazing and fantastic.
She expects her team to embrace and rise to the occasion:
"This squad is special. We have played in front of a big crowd in Sweden, a big crowd in Finland. Everybody was saying, 'Will this bring up the pressure for them?'
"But I've never seen a team responding so well on different circumstances than this team. They are so focused, they really know what they are doing on the pitch. We'll see if that's good enough.
"We have earned this position. So why would you neglect it? This is what we earned over the last years. Not the two years that I have been in charge but going back over 20 years. In 2008, this team qualified for a play-off for the Euros - Áine O'Gorman was already in that squad at the age of 16!
"This team has grown step by step by step by step. And now we are in the position that everybody expects something from us. We know what we want. We have found our limits. That is why we played those games against the big opponents last year. We know our limits and we know that we are growing.
"But we will not put on pants that are too big in size...Because those pants will end up at your ankles. We can only succeed if we are realistic."
Ireland sit ahead of Finland in Group A, having defeated them away in Helsinki last October, as the two teams vie to secure second place in the table behind Sweden.
Despite that win, Pauw is adamant they enter this tie as underdogs.
"I am not downplaying - I don't see us as favourites," she said.
"I see that this is a big, big game and it will be very difficult to get a result. The situation is completely different to the first game. I hope you remember that we scored early [in Helsinki] and I hope you remember how we have played under pressure later in the game.
"Finland was the better team away. And we stole the points over there. The thing is that, this is their last chance. They will not underestimate us. And we have to know where we stand. They just played the Euros. They have three major games in their legs at this moment, with a rest period in between.
"It is a really hard game but we will be ready and we will do everything we can to get a result."
The Ireland team is looking to channel the pain of missing out on qualification for the European Championships in a positive manner.
"We should have been there. It still hurts. I think the team has grown a lot, but we have to stay realistic in where stand and where we are," Pauw says.
"It will be massive if we can surprise the world, but we need to be realistic that it will be a very hard task. But not something that's undoable. We will be ready.
"We play to reach the tournament. But step by step, first Finland.
"It's a final, we really feel it's a final."
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