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Irish Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
USA v Ireland: Carla Ward left with limited options for tough second friendly
Friendly: United States v Republic of Ireland Sunday, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, 8pm Irish time (Live on RTÉ 2) Much as she might like to freshen up her team for the second of their friendlies against the United States, following their 4-0 defeat in the first, Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward has limited enough options ahead of Sunday evening's meeting in Cincinnati. Both Denise O'Sullivan and Megan Campbell have been ruled out of the game having missed the Denver defeat with injuries, and there are doubts too over a number of other players. Ruesha Littlejohn's long-standing Achilles problem saw her limited to one half on Friday, while Ward revealed that Ellen Molloy, Izzy Atkinson and debutante Erin Healy were able for no more than 15 minutes in the game. Erin McLaughlin, who was recently released by Portsmouth, has been called up, the 22-year-old having been capped three times before. And Philadelphia-born Dee Bradley, who plays her football with Durham in the English Championship, has been invited to train with the squad, the midfielder qualifying to play for Ireland through her Donegal-born father and Cork-born mother. READ MORE The quick turnaround after an energy-sapping contest for the Irish side – the heat, high altitude and quality of the opposition leaving them drained at the end – simply adds to Ward's woes. 'Sunday is going to be difficult,' she said to RTÉ, 'but we have to dig deep into that performance to see what we can change and tweak, and, being honest, see who we have fit and available.' She was insistent, though, that despite being outclassed by the Americans, her players will benefit from the experience. 'I said to the girls that 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. 'We've faced the best team in the world. They have unbelievable quality, they really have. They're all in season, fit. We know where we're at, we're out of season. We've done what we could have done with what we had available. I take my hat off to the group.' 'We asked them to leave everything out there and they did,' she said, referring to the conditions. 'There has to be some optimism given who we're playing against and all the contributing factors. They've done pretty well considering.' With Sunday's game kicking off at 3pm local time, it could be hotter still in Cincinnati, the temperatures forecast to surpass 30 degrees. United States head coach Emma Hayes during Friday's game against Ireland. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Asked by ESPN if she would 'take it easy' on Sunday against her old friend Ward, US head coach Emma Hayes replied with an emphatic 'no'. 'I won't change who I am, definitely not, not for anyone – even if I like you. The US women's team has such a high bar that it's up to me to keep pace with that and deliver teams that pursue excellence every time. So, we will absolutely be looking to do that again. There will be changes, though, I want to see the whole squad.' The Irish defence would, no doubt, like to see left-winger Alyssa Thompson rested after she gave them a torrid time on Friday, while Rose Lavelle was outstanding in midfield on her first appearance in six months after ankle surgery. Seeing as Cincinnati is her hometown, it's likely that Lavelle will appear again. It could be a long 90 minutes.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ireland boss Carla Ward faces into the unknown in bid for historic victory against United States
Friendly: United States v Republic of Ireland, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Denver, Friday, 2am Irish time – Live on the RTÉ Player With the first six games in her reign as Republic of Ireland manager all being competitive fixtures, Carla Ward hadn't much chance to ease herself into the job. Now, she has a pair of friendlies against the United States to look forward to, but they'll hardly be gentle strolls in the park. The opponents are, after all the world's top-ranked national team. It'll be a case of friends reunited when Ward and US head coach Emma Hayes meet up in Denver for the first of those games at the home of MLS side Colorado Rapids on Friday morning (2am Irish time). Close pals for years, the pair worked together when Hayes, the former Chelsea manager, added Ward to her staff for USA's gold-winning Olympic Games campaign last year. And with 12 of the Irish squad having played college or club football in the States, there'll be no shortage of player reunions either. Denise O'Sullivan will meet up again with her former North Carolina Courage team-mate Lynn Biyendolo, now with Seattle Reign. READ MORE Kyra Carusa played with Naomi Girma at San Diego Wave, before the defender set sail for Chelsea in January, becoming the first female player to be sold for over $1 million. Megan Campbell was at Manchester City when World Cup winner Rose Lavelle spent a season there, and Megan Connolly and Anna Patten were in the same Florida State University football programme as Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams. Ward is without captain Katie McCabe and defender Aoife Mannion, both excused from the trip, as well as the injured Heather Payne and Leanne Kiernan. Ireland continue to make do without longer-term absentees Jamie Finn, Lily Agg, Jess Ziu and Tara O'Hanlon. The Ireland manager has brought in Crystal Palace defender Hayley Nolan and Wexford forward Ellen Molloy for the first time in her tenure, but it's still an experienced squad with an average age of 27, with 10 of the players featuring in the last double-header against the US in 2023. United States manager Emma Hayes and Carla Ward (right) pictured in 2022 with Ward's daughter Hartley. Photograph:In contrast, Hayes has chosen an experimental squad that, with the exception of Girma, is made up entirely of home-based players. Six of them are uncapped, 13 have played fewer than 10 times for their country, as Hayes continues to scout for talent before finalising her squad for next year's World Cup qualifying campaign. In all, she has given debuts to 19 players since she took charge of the side in May of last year. When Ward worked for Hayes, her chief role was to analyse opponents. However, she will have struggled to analyse the US as it will, most probably, be a side that has never played together before. Still, whatever shape it takes, it should be formidable, not least because it could include Lavelle, returning for the first time in six months following ankle surgery, and up to five Olympic gold medallists. Not to mention a bunch of newcomers hell-bent on holding on to their places in Hayes's squad. Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan is in line to win her 50th cap in the friendly against the United States in Denver. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Ward, with one eye on October's Nations League playoff against Belgium , is likely to go with her tried and tested, with San Diego native Courtney Brosnan in line to win her 50th cap. Charlotte Healy, who has just been appointed manager of Championship side Bristol City, leaving her role as assistant manager at Manchester United, has temporarily joined Ward's backroom team for the two games. Another of Ward's staff, Amber Whiteley, is still waiting for white smoke from Liverpool after she applied for the manager's job at the WSL side, having filled in on an interim basis following the sacking of Matt Beard in February. Liverpool allowed Whiteley double job with Ireland when she was the club's assistant, but that's unlikely to happen should she be their choice as Beard's permanent successor. This will be the 16th meeting between the nations, all friendlies and all played on American soil. The States, four-time World Cup winners, have won all 15 , scored 51 and conceded just the one. That's the measure of the task. The sides meet in their second friendly in Cincinnati on Sunday, mercifully the game kicking off at a more friendly Irish time of 8pm in the evening. It will be shown live on RTÉ 2. IRELAND SQUAD – Goalkeepers : Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (unattached), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic). Defenders : Jessie Stapleton (West Ham), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton), Hayley Nolan (Crystal Palace), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Megan Campbell (unattached). Midfielders : Denise O'Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Ruesha Littlejohn (Shamrock Rovers), Marissa Sheva (Sunderland), Ellen Molloy (Wexford). Forwards : Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Emily Murphy (Newcastle United), Saoirse Noonan (Celtic), Erin Healy (Adelaide United), Izzy Atkinson (unattached).
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Campbell and O'Sullivan out of first USA friendly
Defender Megan Campbell and midfielder Denise O'Sullivan have been ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's first friendly against the USA on Friday through picked up a knock in training whilst O'Sullivan sustained a knee injury whilst playing for her club North Carolina Courage against Houston Dash in an NWSL game on Sunday."They're both out for this first game definitely, we'll see where we are at for the second game. Denise picked up a knock on the knee on Saturday and Megan picked up a knock in training yesterday," Ward told join a long list of Irish players who are unavailable for the game against the number one ranked side in the world, who the Republic have failed to beat in their previous 15 Katie McCabe has been rested and did not make the trip to America with Aoife Mannion, Heather Payne and Leanne Kiernan also Finn, Lily Agg and Jess Ziu are long-term absentees, while Aoibheann Clancy did not travel after the passing of her mother, Irish will take on Emma Hayes' side in Denver on Friday and three days later in Cincinnati."The size of the task is huge and when you leave people like Katie, Aoife, Heather and Leanne Kiernan at home and then you lose another couple of big players that usually start, I think that puts us in a really in a difficult spot," Ward added."If we can go away from the result part of it and look at, trying to implement some pieces of the puzzle that we're trying to put together, then that's got to be the focus."
Irish Times
03-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Carla Ward: ‘Katie McCabe is on the verge of burnout'
'The way I would put it,' said Carla Ward , the Ireland manager, after a disappointing 1-0 defeat of Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 'it was a Carla Ward team on the ball and an Irish mentality off the ball. 'That's what we need to build on. If we want to play in an exciting way going forward, and that's the way I like my teams to play, we have to be better off the ball. 'And that was the start of it tonight. Now we go to the US and play the best in the world. There is still a lot of work to do but the future is bright.' Maybe so, but Anna Patten is suspended for the Nations League promotion play-off against one from Denmark, Belgium, Iceland or Austria, over two legs in October. READ MORE The draw takes place on Friday. Patten was one of five Irish players trying to avoid a second yellow card during a contest where Ireland needed a 4-0 result to top the group. It could have been much worse as Denise O'Sullivan avoided a booking and one-game ban. Referee Miriama Bočková shows a yellow card to Anna Patten of Ireland. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 'We have to be tighter,' Ward continued after a campaign that yielded five wins and a 4-0 loss in Slovenia. 'The Irish have always been very good defensively. So, let's go back to the Irish basics, is what I'd call it. And it's just tight, it's compact, it's together. And then add in how we want to play with the ball 'We are still building. Through this entire campaign we have had five training sessions with the entire squad so to finish the way we did, I could not ask for more. 'That was an Irish performance.' Ward also confirmed that Katie McCabe and a number of senior players will not travel to the USA later this month for two friendlies against the Olympic champions in Colorado and Cincinnati. 'Katie has played an awful lot of minutes for club and country,' Ward explained. 'She's on the verge of burnout, as are some others. 'There's going to be conversations. It won't just be Katie that won't be travelling. 'You've seen with Millie Bright at England coming out, mental and physical fatigue is massive. I felt it as [manager of Aston] Villa. It's the reason I needed that break. 'It's a really tough place to be, and I think there's a lot of players close to that. They've played a lot of minutes, so we have to protect them. We have to protect them as people, and we'll support anybody that needs that break.' Ward confirmed that Louise Quinn has retired after winning her 122nd cap off the bench. 'It's been a really good, but emotional few days for everybody. I think everybody knows, Quinnie's a national sweetheart. She's a legend. She's somebody that everyone admires. 'So, we just had a few words, and she basically just touched on to the next generation - what it'– meant to her to wear the shirt is the proudest thing that you can ever do as an Irish person and make sure that you do not take a single minute for granted because she never did. 'I thought it was an unbelievable message to leave: 'Over to you girls.'' The next generation of players definitely include Jessie Stapleton, Emily Murphy and Abbie Larkin, who all excelled against an aggressive Slovenian side. Larkin, in particular, looks rejuvenated under Ward. 'Abbie probably doesn't realise how good she is, she is quite a quiet girl. She's got an abundance of quality, she's quick, she started the game electric. She's got a massive future ahead of her. I think her and Emily Murphy today, until they probably blew up because of the intensity they played at, were excellent.'
