Ireland head coach, Vera Pauw, has issued a stern rallying cry to her players and fans regarding their pursuit of medals in the next major tournament.
The Ireland team was sadly eliminated from the Women's World Cup after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Canada in their second game. A draw against Nigeria in the final match meant that the team finished at the bottom of the group with just one point on Monday.
However, Ireland's players wasted no time and within three days, they were back in Dublin for their homecoming. An estimated 8,000 crowd gathered in O’Connell Street to attend the event on Thursday.
Despite finishing last in the group, Pauw expressed her gratitude to the supporters for backing the team, stating, 'Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts.' She then confidently added that the team would aim for more medals, saying, "Be with us because in the next tournament we’ll go for medals."
Vera Pauw ain't going nowhere! 🙌⚽️🇮🇪pic.twitter.com/RderjBvTaZ
— Éire Guide (@eireguide) August 3, 2023
McCabe, who was also part of the celebration, emphasized the potential within the Irish team and considered the 2023 World Cup as just the beginning. She said, "We created history by qualifying for a major tournament, but it was important for us girls to leave a legacy, being an inspiration for young girls.
"Hopefully, we did the nation proud. Honestly, we’re only getting started. We’ve experienced the demands of being at the World Cup. There’s so much more potential and growth in this team. We want to push on and ensure that qualifications are more consistent."
Looking ahead, on Saturday, September 23, a new cycle begins for the squad with the Nations League opener against Northern Ireland. Tickets for the game can be found here.
