As Denise O’Sullivan and her teammates boarded their coach amidst a torrential downpour to travel from their base in Luxembourg to Metz for training, her mind was cast back to a similar occasion in Shkodër, Albania. That night, she had incredibly managed to secure a win for her team by sneaking in a goal during the waterlogged match’s 88th minute. “It felt eerily familiar,” she reflected on the heavy rainfall that threw her back to that day.
Thankfully, the pitch at the Stade Municipal Saint-Symphorien appeared to be holding up well despite the weather onslaught. In contrast, Metz’s streets told a different story, accumulating enough water to echo Venetian canals.
Meanwhile, speculation rose about the impact of such adverse weather conditions on the outlooks of home fans. As of Thursday, the forecasted audience sat around the 18,000 mark, leaving around 10,000 seats vacant in the stadium. Optimism, however, remained that the majority of these would be snatched up by last-minute spectators.
Similarly, a seeming disinterest from the French press in the national coach, Hervé Renard’s, Thursday press conference didn’t go unnoticed. Perhaps surprisingly, coverage from visiting Irish press equaled, if not surpassed, the attention from the home side’s media. Despite a French team oozing talent, they had yet to live up to their potential, leaving many perplexed.
The possibility of France not capitalising on their skillset during this game, the first of Ireland’s Euro 2025 qualifiers, gives the latter a chance to turn the match in their favour. Upon recalling the previous summer’s game in Tallaght, where France outplayed Ireland 3-0, O’Sullivan cautioned not to infer too much from past performance alone. “Much has shifted since then,” she reasoned, despite acknowledging France’s undeniably superior talent.
The French team embodies strength, speed, technical prowess, and athletic aptitude. However, O’Sullivan is cognisant of the long uphill battle awaiting them. “We understand the enormity of the task but didn’t come here to fill in. We’re here for a fight,” she asserted.
Reflecting on the draw for the soccer group, O’Sullivan expressed excitement rather than fear when Ireland was placed into a group comprising England, Sweden and France, the three of which are among the world’s top six nations. She posted on social media, “We desired to be here. Now that we have made it, let’s get down to business.”
In her mind, it’s a professional obligation to relish these competitions against the world’s best teams. Now that opportunity has presented itself, they need to grab it and put in their utmost effort.
O’Sullivan has emphasised how the team has evolved noticeably over the years. Thanks to their experience in the World Cup, as well as their good performance in the Nations League, they come prepared, albeit this is another step up. However, the approach to these games needs to be realistic, ensuring they are defensively strong and difficult to beat, while remaining true to their style of play.
In case Ireland ends up last in this group, there is a safety net in the form of a Euro 2025 qualifying play-off. However, O’Sullivan dismisses this, stating it’s not even on her radar.
Her perspective is to perform well in every match; every match is seen as a final for them. It’s a substantial task, but the play-offs haven’t crossed her mind yet. They’re not just making up the numbers, their aim is to compete effectively against these teams.