Denise O'Sullivan: Wales loss still hurts but it will stand to us with World Cup push
Initially Denise O'Sullivan admitted the pain from the Republic of Ireland's failure to qualify for this summer's Women's European Championship means she will be doing everything she can to avoid watching it.
But quickly, upon a brief reflection, the Cork native would backtrack on that statement to insist she will tune in but only to support her North Carolina Courage teammates that will be involved in the tournament in Switzerland when it kicks off on July 2.
Ireland had the chance to be there themselves and make history by qualifying for back-to-back major tournaments in the process, but a 2-1 loss to Wales at the Aviva Stadium in their playoff second leg last December dashed those dreams.
'I think I'll be switching the TV off, doing everything I can not to watch it, but I have teammates from Courage playing in it.
'I know I'm saying I'll be switching the TV off, but I'll watch to cheer them on. It's still devastating not to be there, for sure,' said the Cork native, speaking after Ireland's 1-0 win over Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night.
And while it was nice for O'Sullivan to again taste victory in front of her home crowd, and the 40 or so family members in attendance, it wasn't the 4-0 victory they needed to leapfrog their opponents and secure automatic promotion to League A in the UEFA Women's Nations League.
The Girls in Green (who are 26th in the FIFA world rankings) are now destined for the playoffs yet again where they will meet either Austria (ranked 18th), Iceland (13th), Belgium (20th) or Denmark (12th) with the draw taking place on Friday.
'It's another chance in October and we'll find out on Friday. We'll be ready for that. At least having another chance is a positive,' continued O'Sullivan, who also discussed the impact made by Carla Ward since she took over for Eileen Gleeson before the start of this Nations League campaign.
'We have experience under our belt. I've heard the team names, all high level so we'll have to be ready for that but it's another chance for us.
Denise O'Sullivan in action against Kaja Korošec of Slovenia. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
'We want to be at that World Cup in Brazil (in 2027). That defeat against Wales from last year can stand to us going into the playoff.
'We've learnt a lot, it still hurts a lot because the pain hasn't gone from that game. There's definitely been a lot of change (under Ward). It took a long time to find our feet and way.
'We didn't start well in any game but came out with wins which shows the team's character. I still think we're still trying to get used to the way Carla and the staff want us to play but five wins out of six is positive.
'It will definitely take time. The way Carla and staff are implementing her style of play, it doesn't happen overnight. You can see even in the first half how we created a number of chances. As a team we want to keep doing that and get better.
"Losing Louise, Fahey, Diane and Julie-Ann, so many at the same time, is really tough on the team so I think Katie, Courtney, myself and a few others must take the responsibility of driving the team on.'
Rather than competing at the Euros, next up for Ireland is a glamourous friendly double-header against an extremely talented USA side (ranked number one in the world) in Colorado and Cincinnati on June 27 (Irish time) and 29 respectively.
And while Carla Ward has announced that captain Katie McCabe will not be making the trip for fear of 'burnout' following her Champions League winning excursions with Arsenal recently, O'Sullivan confirmed she will be involved.
And for once, she won't face an arduous journey to represent her country.
'It's my one week in the whole year I get off from Courage but that's okay. I'm happy to play because any chance I get playing for my country I want to be there. I'll be there.
'I'm excited. For once, I don't have to travel 20 hours. I won't have jet lag, but the rest will.
'I'm looking forward to it. USA are a top, top team and we can go out to challenge ourselves.
'It will be a brilliant experience,' concluded O'Sullivan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
16 minutes ago
- Irish Times
LOI Talking Points: Bohs fall short of another miracle as Derry City fly up to second
Bohs fall short of another miracle One of the hardest parts of League of Ireland football is following up a big win with a routine one. Ruthless efficiency is a trait that, for quite a few years in the league, has only really applied to Shamrock Rovers. Moments away from a defeat at home to Sligo Rovers on Friday night, Bohemians were afforded the consolation prize of a late equaliser, but the prevailing image at full-time was of Dawson Devoy, collapsed in a heap and thumping the Dalymount turf in frustration. With the last kick of the game, Devoy had been inches away from completing another famous comeback – the sort that ignited his side's season in Tallaght on Easter Monday. Setting aside the misfortune of that moment though, this was a game that Bohs should long have had wrapped up. Sam Sargeant was inspired in Sligo's goal, but big early misses from Ross Tierney foreshadowed a wasteful evening for the Gypsies. Gallant in defence, Sligo Rovers had their 19-year-old talisman to thank for the lead. Owen Elding showed just how ferocious his left foot can be with a strike from distance against Shelbourne last month, and his opener on Friday may have been even sweeter. On both occasions, Elding took a heavy final touch to allow himself a second to wind up. Here, the ball never stopped rising. It flew bullet-like off the striker's boot and, in an instant, beyond the swivelling head and planted feet of Kacper Chorazka. READ MORE Despite the late concession, this is a week to build on for the Bit O'Red, who remain four points clear of Cork City. Bohemians slip to third – their mood will still be overwhelmingly positive, but whispered title talk may be premature. Rinse and repeat for Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers' Rory Gaffney scores his sides fourth goal. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho In contrast to the heightened emotions at Dalymount, a season-low home crowd turned out at Tallaght to watch Shamrock Rovers see off Waterford and move 11 points clear without much fuss. As is so often the case for the Hoops, strength in depth was the deciding factor. Rory Gaffney was only on the pitch 10 minutes when Stephen McMullan dropped a speculative Danny Mandroiu effort at his feet inside the six-yard box. There was plenty of good fortune about the goal, but Gaffney's nous is the other side of the coin. He had started the move by drifting wide to receive a throw-in, and by the time Mandroiu began shaping to shoot, he was the heavy favourite to meet any sort of rebound. In isolation, you could argue that Shamrock Rovers got away with one, but nine wins in 11 games is irrefutable. Their next game, away at Sligo on Saturday, will be their last in the league for nearly a month as cup and European commitments take hold. It makes Friday night's business-like win that little bit more significant. Derry City fly up to second Derry City are on a bit of a roll. The Candystripes' two away victories in Dublin last weekend flew slightly under the radar, but their dismantling of a stubborn Drogheda side on Friday night should draw some attention. A clever corner kick routine after half an hour resulted in Sam Todd heading powerfully into the corner, and just moments later Ronan Boyce made it two, turning home a loose ball after Andrew Quinn had scrambled back for a goal line clearance. Danny Mullen's late third put a gloss on the win and moved the home side narrowly ahead of Bohemians on goal difference. After an underwhelming start, Derry have landed on a quiet, steady run of form. Better yet, they may be growing less reliant on the individual brilliance of Michael Duffy, as Tiernan Lynch's attacking unit grows more cohesive. Odubeko shines but leaves Shels wanting more Galway's Jeannot Esua and Mipo Odubeko of Shelbourne. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Joey O'Brien is doing his best to steer Shelbourne's managerial interregnum ahead of their mammoth European ties against Linfield next month. There are early signs of life under the stand-in. In all honesty, Shelbourne should have six points from six since losing their commander-in-chief, Damien Duff, in shocking circumstances last Sunday. Then again, leaving points on the pitch has been a recurring issue for the champions all season. Duff wasn't the only messianic figure absent from Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night. Galway United began life without the league's top scorer, Moses Dyer, who is set to move to Cambodian outfit Phnom Penh Crown after his release clause was activated. John Caulfield started both Malcolm Shaw and Stephen Walsh in Dyer's stead, but neither produced the quality and guile that the New Zealander has shown all season. Mipo Odubeko, leading the line for Shelbourne alongside Sean Boyd, was a microcosm for the vicissitudes that have befallen the away side this year. Electric and perpetually in motion, Odubeko scored one great goal but should have had at least three. Some of his efforts on goal were better than others. When the chance is gilt-edged, he tends to lose all composure; a shot from distance, unlikely to beat any decent goalkeeper, is usually struck with confidence. Galway hung in long enough for Shels to begin retreating. Eventually, Conor Kearns wasn't strong enough as he came to claim a long ball. Under pressure from Cillian Tollett, the goalkeeper's spill allowed Bobby Burns to poke home. A solid point for the Tribesmen and another wasted opportunity for Shelbourne. Cork City finally keep a clean sheet It took 22 games, but Cork City managed to keep their opposition scoreless for the first time this season on Friday night. Over the last five games, Cork and St Pat's have been the worst performing sides in the league, so there was an understandable sense of gloom around Turners Cross as the two sides met desperate to find a spark. The Leesiders were marginally the better side and should have taken the lead through Kitt Nelson just before half-time. Pat's have been rightly accused of profligacy over the past month, during which time they have scored just one goal. Worryingly, their problems went beyond that here, as they struggled even to threaten the leakiest defence in the league. It was a positive result for Cork, but it will do little to quell growing fan unrest aimed at the club's ownership. As was the case against Drogheda on Monday, banners criticising Dermot Usher were unfurled in the stands.
The Irish Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Damon Heta reveals he wanted to ‘run into the crowd and do something silly' at US Darts Masters
DAMON HETA revealed he considered running into the crowd during a stellar debut at Madison Square Garden. The World No.10 got his US Darts Masters campaign off to a flying start with a 6-1 demolition over Jim Long. Advertisement 1 Damon Heta considered jumping into the crowd after a storming display Credit: Getty Heta, 37, thumped in three 180s and hit 50 per cent of his doubles on the way to victory. Australian thrower He said: 'I had some fun up there. I don't know if you noticed. It was insane. You just wanted to hit 180s because the crowd wanted it. 'I denied them a few times, got booed a few times, but once I hit one, let it rain, let it pour, it was insane. Advertisement READ MORE IN DARTS 'That was brilliant, that was electric. I just really enjoyed myself up there and that's what I wanted to come and do. My darts were flowing, so I was definitely happy to get the win on my first time here.' He added: 'I got confused there because it wasn't just your normal walk on. You had to start from the side and then walk in and there's no barricades, there's no nothing. 'I was like, oh, we're not just sitting there signing, we're just in the mix and there was a moment where I thought: You know what, I might just run into the crowd and do something silly! 'But then I think there might have been a fine and my wife said not to and I was like: Alright, I'll keep it simple and who knows, maybe tomorrow I'll keep the security on their guard!' Advertisement Most read in Darts CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Former World Cup winner Heta is proud to feature in the event after climbing the world rankings. He revealed: 'It's probably with reason. You've got to earn your spot, earn your ways and earn your time and, obviously, whether one or two dropped out and that's the way I got my spot, that's fair do's. 'Not the proudest moment of my life' - Darts star Rob Cross breaks silence on £450k tax issue that led to ban 'Even if I didn't get it, that's just fair play for the people that are here, they earned their ways and that's what it is. Advertisement 'When you get in those top echelons, you're not just there on or whatever, you're there because you've put in the hard times and you've done what you needed to do to get there. 'So I'm taking it for all that it is as well. I'm not taking it for granted.' Heta has been in good form this year as he picked up the Players Championship 13 title. He nearly clinched his second Euro Tour title but fell short to Nathan Aspinall in the final of the European Darts Open earlier this month. Advertisement
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Live GAA updates: Monaghan and Donegal meet in quarter-final before Tyrone take on Dublin
Fixtures: All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals Monaghan v Donegal, Croke Park, 4pm (GAA+) Tyrone v Dublin, Croke Park, 6.15pm (GAA+) All-Ireland Minor Hurling Final Clare v Waterford, Semple Stadium, 5.15pm (TG4) Get an in-depth look at the weekend's action and the best analysis of upcoming fixtures in our weekly newsletter [ Inside Gaelic Games: The weekly GAA newsletter from The Irish Times Opens in new window ] 5 minutes ago Hello and welcome to live coverage of one of the biggest days of the Gaelic football season, an enticing double header of Monaghan against Donegal (throw-in 4pm), followed by Tyrone against Dublin (throw-in 6.15pm) at GAA HQ. It is the most open Championship in many years and it's never been harder to call the winner of the whole thing, or even individual matches. Donegal beat Monaghan in the quarter-finals of the Ulster championship, so that makes them bookies favourites for the first game, but Monaghan have had two weeks off courtesy of topping their group, rather than the controversial six-day turnaround for Donegal . It has been a flawed Dublin so far this year, but they are capable of going on a run with home (or neutral) advantage at Croke Park from here on in, Tyrone will be tough opponents though. There is also the minor hurling final between Clare and Waterford at Semple Stadium.
