Carla Ward pinpoints lessons Ireland need to learn following heavy defeat to the USA
CARLA Ward shared learning points as Ireland fell victim to the World's number one USA in a friendly thumping in Denver.
Ward's team subsided to a
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Ireland will have a second chance against the USA on Sunday
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Ward spoke to her players out on the pitch after full-time
A young and mainly NWSL-based team shone in severe heat and altitude in the early hours of Friday morning.
An early Avery Patterson headed goal gave the hosts the lead before Sam Coffey doubled it just before half-time.
It wasn't long after half-time when Rose Lavelle extended the lead further and then Alyssa Thompson put the game to bed with a half hour still to play.
Ireland were hit with an early blow as America-based Denise O'Sullivan and throw-in expert Megan Campbell were ruled out through injury.
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The Girls in Green were also without captain Katie McCabe and Aoife Mannion in the game as
This US friendly tour was all about learning, gathering experience and preparing for the tough
There is plenty to build on from Ireland's Nations League campaign despite a few disappointing performances including
Speaking to
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"We've come and played against a group of players that are all in season, fit. We know where we're at, we're out of season, but it's not just that. They're unbelievable quality, they really are."
Ward spoke of some of
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She added: "I was just saying to the girls, we're going to learn more out of tonight than we will have in all our Nations League games. And that's what this is about.
"Being really honest, Erin Healy was only (able to play) 15 minutes, Ellen Molloy can't do more than ten, Izzy Atkinson was on 15, Ruesha Littlejohn was on 45.
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"We were very restricted with what we could put out and the changes we could make.
"Look, we've done what we could have done with what we had available."
"It's tough, it's really tough. The altitude, you can feel it in your chest, you can feel it everywhere. I take my hat off to the group.
"We asked them to leave everything out there, they've left everything out there.
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