The Republic of Ireland finished bottom of their group after losing to co-hosts Australia and Olympic champions Canada before a draw with Nigeria; Vera Pauw had a disagreement with captain Katie McCabe about her substitutions in their last game; McCabe appeared to respond on social media
Friday 4 August 2023 06:31, UK
Ireland's Football Association (FAI) says it will go through a "full and comprehensive review" of the team's debut at the Women's World Cup before taking a call on the future of head coach Vera Pauw.
The Republic of Ireland finished bottom of their group after losing their opening two games against co-hosts Australia and Olympic champions Canada before a draw with Nigeria - their first-ever point at the World Cup.
"With our World Cup journey at an end, the FAI will now undertake a full and comprehensive review of the campaign and tournament, as is our standard practice," the FAI said in a statement to the media.
"This will be discussed at the next FAI board meeting in the coming weeks."
Pauw's contract expires after the World Cup and the Dutch coach said she did not feel like it was her last game in charge and planned to attend the team's homecoming event in Dublin on Thursday.
"Why would I not be at the homecoming? I go back with my team. Otherwise, I would have stayed in Australia enjoying the tournament," she added.
Pauw questioned her captain Katie McCabe's request for substitutions during the draw with Nigeria, reminding her that "she's not the coach".
McCabe appeared to question Pauw's reluctance to turn to the bench during the second half of the 0-0 draw in Brisbane - a result that consigned Ireland to a last-placed finish in Group B.
But Pauw chose not to make any changes until the 83rd minute and explained after the game why she declined McCabe's request.
"Why would we change?" asked the manager. "If Katie McCabe says that she wants to change, it doesn't mean... she's not the coach.
"Everybody was doing so well so I said, 'what do you want, Katie? Taking the best player off? No'.
"Players are allowed to be emotional and allowed to say that. That's fine, but during the game, I step back and analyse and we make changes the moment that it is necessary.
"A player can say everything to a coach, at least to me.
"She wanted fresh legs on her side [but] everybody was doing so well. Sinead Farrelly was arguably the best player on the pitch at that moment so I was not prepared to take the best player off."
McCabe did not comment on her exchange with Pauw after the match but did take to social media to post an apparent response to her manager.
Arguably Ireland's best player, McCabe spent the entire tournament at left wing-back but still managed to score what remains her country's only Women's World Cup goal to date when she found the net directly from a corner against Canada.
However, Ireland went on to lose that match 2-1 which, combined with their earlier 1-0 defeat to co-hosts Australia, meant McCabe's side were already eliminated ahead of their meeting with Nigeria.
"To be calm, composed and patient in our defensive work, to have a lot of the possession was really good," said McCabe post-match. "It was just about utilising it in the right areas.
"We did create some good opportunities and it was disappointing that we didn't capitalise on it."
The group stage runs over a two-week period, finishing on August 3. Group winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16, which takes place from August 5 to August 8.
The quarter-finals, which will be held in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney, are scheduled for August 11 and 12.
The first semi-final will be played on August 15 in Auckland, with the other semi-final taking place on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, which will then host the final on August 20.
A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.
