The 2023 Women’s World Cup gets underway on Thursday and the headline match on day one sees co-hosts Australia begin their campaign in Sydney against a Republic of Ireland playing their first ever major tournament game.
The Girls in Green want to show that they are more than just making up the numbers. They already have vocal support in Australia and will to cause problems for a Matildas side that have put together a very specific game plan in an effort to try and prevent an early upset.
Analysis – Rachel O’Sullivan; Girls on the Ball
“Both teams are very excited. Ireland are talking about the fact that they’re not just here to take part. They definitely have a game plan, know what they’re dealing with and know the threats when it comes to Australia.
“They’ve also been talking about the support, having been welcomed in Sydney airport by a number of Irish fans, which I think is doing a lot for them and is really going to lift them.
“I think that will be a huge part of this moment and how they deal with the fact that it’s their first game and the stresses. Vera Pauw spoke about that as well and Katie McCabe was adamant that they’re not just here to take part.
“From Australia’s perspective, they’re really excited to get going and kick things off. They are very aware of what they are coming up against in Ireland. They know they are going to be difficult to break down.
“Whoever scores an early goal will probably go on to win the game.”
“Tony Gustavsson, perhaps, gave quite a bit away in terms of how they plan to approaching Ireland.
“They said that they know they tend to start both halves well and then drop off – and they have plans to target certain players in regards to those moments. It was really interesting because I feel like it gives a little bit of the gameplan away.
“It will be interesting to see how they manage to do that and who they target.
“But I think the biggest thing will be how both teams deal with the pressure of the moment. Both teams have a different type of moment to experience, and with that comes an awful lot of emotion. So I’m really intrigued to see how both sides deal with that.
“I think whoever deals with it the best will have a very good chance and I think whoever scores an early goal will probably go on to win the game.”
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