IRELAND'S GOALKEEPER, Courtney Brosnan, has said today's World Cup clash against Australia is the biggest game for many of the Irish players' careers.
The Girls in Green will kick-off today at 11 am Irish time in Sydney against the co-hosts, and the excitement inside and outside the camp is building.
Over 75,000 fans will cheer on Vera Pauw and her squad, and for Brosnan, she admits it's hard to sum up.
"It's amazing, difficult to put into words," the Ireland keeper said. "Qualifying for the World Cup was the dream, and it’s added to by the biggest World Cup crowd."
"This is the biggest game of our careers, but we have to take it for what it is. It's 90 minutes, 11 v 11.
"Resilience is part of Irish culture. You can see the progress off the pitch, where we've come on, and that helps you on the pitch. The Irish never back out of a fight; we choose the big friendlies, and it’s a dream to play against them."
For the 27-year-old, Brosan also explained how singing the national anthem would be a 'dream come true' ahead of kick-off.
"Singing the anthems before that massive crowd will be a dream come true. It can be overwhelming but we're used to big crowds. We can switch our mentality," she explained to reporters.
Republic of Ireland are making their #FIFAWWC debut today 👏👏👏
Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan is ready as they prepare to take on the hosts Australia.
Listen to live radio commentary of Australia v Republic of Ireland today at 11.00 BST #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/GVDW4fom2G— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) July 20, 2023
Despite the landmark occasion for many of the Ireland players, they know they have a job to do if they are to stop 'The Matildas' in their own backyard later.
Brosnan is well aware of the threats that Australia has in their squad. The likes of Chelsea's Sam Kerr, Manchester City's Mary Fowler, and Arsenal's playmaker Caitlin Foord are also in their ranks and highly regarded in women's football. Kerr, for example, has 63 goals in 120 caps for her country.
The Ireland keeper added, "We know the quality of Australia and how they press and have changed since we last played them [in September 2021]. We'll do the proper analysis and be prepared.
"They've changed in the last couple of years, but so have we. Australia has been a top side for years and is showing how dominant they are on the world stage.
"Everybody is excited. We control what we control. We're not looking for excuses. Everybody knows how important this game is, and we have to take the opportunity."
You can watch Ireland's game live on RTÉ2 or listen to live commentary on 2fm.
