Another World Cup finals appearance looks well within reach for Carla Ward’s Girls In Green
Ireland to face familiar foes in bid to secure a summer in Brazil
Cara Conboy, Guest Columnist
There will be mixed feelings from both the Ireland camp and their fans alike following a FIFA World Cup Qualifying Play-Off draw that has thrown up Kazakhstan, Belgium and Poland for Carla Ward’s side.
While there would have been relief at drawing the weakest possible opposition for the semi-final in Kazakhstan, a potential final against familiar opposition in Belgium or Poland will provide a real test for the Girls in Green.
An impressive third-place finish in a very difficult qualifying group provided Ireland with a seeded play-off ahead of the draw on Thursday. This ensured that Ireland would face, on paper, easier opposition in the semi-final.
Going by FIFA rankings, Hungary represented the toughest possible semi-final draw while Kazakhstan, ranked 100th in the world and 79 places below Ireland, were the most favourable opponent available.
Given the gap in rankings and Ireland’s impressive recent form, they will be strong favourites to progress to the final. However, logistics may cause unwanted issues, as over 5000km and an eight-hour direct flight separates Dublin from Astana, venue for the first leg while a five-hour time difference will challenge Ireland’s ability to adapt.
Led by former captain Begaim Kirgizbaeva, Kazakhstan are an unknown quantity for the Girls in Green. The two sides have never met before and the majority of their players ply their trade in the Kazakhstan Women’s Football Championship, meaning they are relatively unknown outside of their home country.
Kazakhstan secured a play-off spot due to their second-place finish in a League C group consisting of Belarus and Armenia. They recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat in the process, an improvement on their previous World Cup qualifying campaign that saw them lose every match and concede 34 goals.
Scoring five goals across their four qualification matches, Kazakhstan don’t appear to have one lone goal threat, instead sharing the goals across the squad.
Kazakhstan are aiming to qualify for their first major tournament since the 1999 AFC Women’s Championship, prior to their move from the AFC to UEFA.
If Ireland are successful over the two legs against Kazakhstan, they will progress to the two-legged play-off final against the winner of the semi-final between Belgium and Poland.
Belgium will be favourites for the tie, going unbeaten in their qualifying group and scoring an impressive 22 goals across the campaign.
That being said, Poland shouldn’t be underestimated. Barcelona star Ewa Pajor is a threat to even the top defences in Europe, this being highlighted with her two goals in the UWCL final against an extremely strong Lyon side.
The play-off final legs will take place in the final week of November and the first week of December, with Ireland once again away in the first leg. Both opponents are extremely familiar to the Girls in Green. Poland finished fourth in Ireland’s qualifying group, with Ireland winning both meetings between the sides on their way to a third-place finish.
Meanwhile, Ireland were victorious over Belgium in last year’s Nations League play-off, overcoming the Red Flames 5-4 on aggregate.
For Poland, much of the attacking threat comes through Barcelona Pajor. Belgium also boast a lethal forward in their captain and Inter Milan star Tessa Wullaert.
The 31-year-old is no stranger to finding the back of the net for her country, amassing a monumental 105 goals throughout her international career, three of which were against Ireland in the previously mentioned Nations League play-off.
Both sides would provide a tough test but Ireland may quietly prefer a meeting with Poland. Ward’s side won both encounters during qualifying and will draw confidence from those performances, while Belgium’s attacking quality makes them a particularly dangerous prospect.
That being said, the Girls in Green will fear nobody in this play-off campaign after a narrow 1-0 loss against France in Grenoble denied them a historic automatic qualification.
Under Ward, the squad has gone from strength to strength throughout the qualifiers. A last-gasp 3-2 victory over the Netherlands showed that they can go toe-to-toe with the world’s strongest teams.
Perhaps the biggest decision to be made surrounding the play-offs will be the choice of where Ireland will call home for the semi-final, and if they are successful, the final.
Tallaght Stadium has been the primary venue in recent years. The Aviva Stadium is also on the cards, especially for the final. But you couldn’t blame Ward and her players for wanting to return to the ever-fruitful Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork for either of the ties.
Ideally, one game would be played in Dublin, and the other in Cork, something that would be the ‘ultimate dream’ according to Ward.
The venue for the second leg of the Kazakhstan tie must be confirmed by the FAI by next Friday, June 26th, while the venue for the final does not have to be decided until October.
Ireland’s route to Brazil could hardly present a greater contrast. First comes a long trip into the unknown against Kazakhstan, before a final battle against opposition they know all too well.
With home advantage in both decisive second legs and confidence growing under Carla Ward, the Girls in Green will believe another World Cup appearance is within reach.