Katie McCabe, the captain of the Republic of Ireland's women's team, received criticism for being "too petulant" and "too aggressive" after Ireland's 1-0 loss to Australia in Sydney. Vera Pauw's side suffered a defeat in the opener due to a 52nd-minute penalty scored by Matildas midfielder Steph Catley on Thursday morning.
Throughout the game, Ireland fought hard and remained competitive for large portions, but they couldn't find an equaliser. The match witnessed several robust challenges, and one particular challenge from McCabe stood out.
During the first half, McCabe's studs caught Hayley Raso, raising speculation about whether it should have resulted in a red card. The Dublin native also seemed to have broken one or two fingers, requiring them to be bandaged together.
Shortly after the halftime break, McCabe engaged in another aggressive challenge that led to a heated moment with Raso.
Fans on social media compared McCabe's no-nonsense style to that of Roy Keane, appreciating her intensity. However, members of the Australian media didn't see the funny side and one dubbed McCabe 'Australian public enemy number one' on their website.
According to news.com.au and FOX Sports, "Irish captain and enforcer Katie McCabe has become Australian public enemy number one after clattering into a number of Matildas players during Ireland’s 1-0 loss to Australia in their World Cup opener at Stadium Australia."
They also highlighted McCabe's aggressive play for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League and singled out her challenge on Hayley Raso, which upset Australian fans.
Ireland’s controversial captain Katie McCabe sparked a biff with the Matildas and sent the football world into a frenzy with one incident.https://t.co/17VCJO83Gy
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) July 21, 2023
"McCabe, who is known for her aggressive play for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League, took out Hayley Raso with a borderline reckless studs-up challenge that had Australian fans livid," they also added.
BBC pundit Karen Bardsley also criticised the Irish captain, noting an element of petulance in McCabe's play and suggesting that her challenges were adding up, necessitating proper management by the referee to prevent escalation and potential injuries or red cards.
"There‘s an element of petulance here from Katie McCabe,” Bardsley said. “These challenges from her have just started to add up now. “It is the referee‘s responsibility to manage those situations, because if you don’t nip it in the bud then it will just keep escalating. “We certainly don‘t want to see anyone either stretchered off or sent off.”
After the match, Ireland's head coach Vera Pauw refuted claims that Ireland and McCabe were too aggressive in the encounter in Sydney. The 60-year-old defended Ireland's approach to the game and emphasised that both teams were engaged in robust challenges.
"Australia are very powerful, I don’t know how many fouls were given,” said Pauw. “We had to take the heat out of it a bit but there was the same proportion on both sides. “We try to play within the rules of the game and one of the key things in training we always try to play without fouls. I don’t know how many fouls there were today. “But we are a team that is battling, we are Irish, the DNA of the team is to battle. There was a few challenges from both sides and that was just before half time.”
Ireland's next task is facing the current Olympic champions, Canada, in a match scheduled for July 26, with a kick-off time of 1pm Irish time.
RELAND WNT SQUADGoalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion) Defenders: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Áine O'Gorman (Shamrock Rovers), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Claire O’Riordan (Standard Liege), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Izzy Atkinson (West Ham United) Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Sinead Farrelly (NY/NJ Gotham) Forwards: Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers)
