The fairytale comes to an end for the Republic of Ireland as they exit their first ever Women’s World Cup.
It began with a dramatic qualification path, followed by an abandoned friendly, then a World Cup debut to be proud of.
Unfortunately, Ireland couldn’t find a win in any of their group stage games, however they did manage to score an incredible goal courtesy of Katie McCabe from a direct corner. It came in the first five minutes of their game against Canada, however an own goal and a winner from the Canucks meant Ireland left the game with no points.
The Girls in Green did gain their first group stage point in their final game against Nigeria which resulted in a draw, but this was too late for the squad who were already eliminated from the competition.
It’s difficult to pick a star player from a squad that showed so much talent, but a couple standouts have to be Ruesha Littlejohn and goal-scorer Katie McCabe.
Ruesha was arguably the teams most consistent player, and following her departure from Aston Villa this season, she will no doubt be snatched up by a club.
Katie McCabe is a WSL proven player, who has consistently shown up for Arsenal and has had a great season. Despite just scoring Ireland's goal, her defensive abilities also shone as well as her leadership skills.
It is unfortunate that Ireland's campaign ended with a slight grey cloud over it, following dispute between players and management. This came from tension between Katie McCabe and Vera Pauw after the captain wanted a substitution.
Ireland's campaign shouldn't be remembered with this grey cloud, but instead as a great debut and as the start of more achievements for the Girls in Green.
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