Above: Republic of Ireland pose for a team photo before their match against Italy at the Stadio Curva Fiesole (Viola Park Stadium) belonging to club ACF Fiorentina. Photo: Ireland Football
by Morganna King (25/02/24)
The Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team will face the Cymru Women’s National Team at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on Tuesday 27th February. Over 8000 tickets have already been sold; it’s set to be a record crowd.
With a record-breaking summer now in the rear-view mirror for Ireland, they aim to continue to build up their experience on the international stage. Looking forward to the summer after next, they are aiming to qualify for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland.
Cymru set out to do the same, except they have never qualified for a major tournament in the history of their women’s national team. With their ex-manager Gemma Grainger moving on to manage Norway, Jon Grey fills in as interim manager.
It’s no secret that Cymru’s results in the UEFA Women’s Nations League haven’t lived up to their potential, considering they haven’t managed to win a single one of their games in the campaign so far, and averaged at less than 0.7 goals per game. This could prove to be an issue against an opponent like Ireland, who are known for their defensive capabilities.
Luckily for both teams, the upcoming match is a friendly and will provide valuable insights for both countries, as well as building on the growing success of the women’s game. In addition to this, it will prepare them further for a tough set of upcoming international fixtures.
Cymru Players To Look Out For
London City Lionesses captain Lois Joel recently switched her allegiance to Cymru. An all-rounder, Joel can play midfield as well as defence, and regularly does so for her club in the Barclay’s Women’s Championship. She has experience playing for West Ham in the Women’s Super League, as well as playing her college football at the University of North Carolina. Listed as a midfielder in the recent squad announcement, Joel could be set to make her debut against Ireland.
Versatile midfielder Angharad James announced her move stateside from Tottenham Hotspur to Seattle Reign FC at the end of the January transfer window. Here she will join fellow Cymru teammates Jess Fishlock and Lily Woodham. In her last season at the club, James took on the challenge of playing in the right-back position. This added experience will certainly pay off against a team like Ireland, who have become increasingly disciplined in holding their shape over the past year.
Elise Hughes, the Barclay’s Women’s Championship top goalscorer so far this season, with 14 goals to her name, currently plays up front at her club Crystal Palace whom she joined from Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2022. She recently scored her debut goal for Cymru on December 1st 2023 at the Cardiff City Stadium in their 2-1 defeat to Iceland. Expect nothing less than for Hughes to add to her senior goals tally over the next few upcoming international fixtures.
Republic of Ireland players to look out for
36-year-old Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey has plenty of international and club experience under her belt, amassing over 100 caps for club and country. Although a versatile player, as a centre-back she is calm, composed and contributes to a solid last line of defence for Ireland and Liverpool. She deservedly picked up the Player of the Match award in Ireland’s previous match against Italy and will be crucial to Ireland’s defence if they want to keep a clean sheet against Cymru.
After narrowly missing out on World Cup squad selection, Liverpool forward Leanne Kiernan has returned to the permanent squad after her most recent injury. Her speed on and off the ball allows her to outpace defenders and quickly find herself in important spaces to receive the ball. She almost bagged her first goal of 2024 in Ireland’s last match against Italy, but it was unfortunately ruled offside.
Amber Barrett missed out on squad selection for the last international camp, but since then she has really shown Ireland what they are missing. For her club Standard Liège in the Belgian Women’s Super League, she has amassed 11 goals in 13 appearances as well as winning the November Player of the Month award. You may know her from scoring the game-winning goal against Scotland that sent Ireland to the World Cup in the summer. Despite this, she didn’t receive as much game-time as she would have liked under Ireland’s ex-manager Vera Pauw. However, this could be set to change under newly appointed manager Eileen Gleeson.
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