BRISBANE, Australia — Following two slim losses that ended its possibilities of advancing to the knockout stage on debut on the Women’s World Cup, Ireland stays motivated to play for greater than only a consequence towards Nigeria on Monday evening.

“We still have something to fight for,” midfielder Lily Agg mentioned. “That’s our pride, that’s our passion and that’s who we are as Irish players. We’re going to leave it all out there on Monday and, hopefully, do Ireland proud.”

Ireland is but to choose up a contest level regardless of pushing two Top 10 groups to the restrict. In entrance of just about 76,000 individuals within the match opener, a second-half penalty was the distinction in Ireland’s 1-0 loss to co-host Australia. Ireland struck first in its subsequent match towards Canada, however two unanswered objectives from the Olympic champions left the Irish empty-handed as soon as once more.

“We can compete with the best, and I think we’ve proven that,” Agg mentioned. “We’ve got so much talent, and it’s now just about making that next step as a team and fighting to win.”

The Irish squad is effectively conscious of what’s at stake for the opposite three groups in Group B.

Nigeria, which opened with a 0-0 draw towards Canada after which upset Australia 3-2, will advance to the knockout stage with a win or draw. A win for the Irish, nevertheless, would put the Super Falcons prone to failing to make it out of the group stage and supply a possible opening for Australia and Canada.

PHOTOS: Ireland nonetheless taking part in with one thing to show within the final sport of its Women’s World Cup debut

“This game has a big impact on the follow up of the tournament for each group, so we feel the responsibility for that,” Ireland coach Vera Pauw mentioned. “We have a huge responsibility to ourselves and FIFA to bring our best performance.”

Pauw’s squad made historical past by qualifying for its first ever Women’s World Cup when it edged Scotland 1-0 in a playoff final October. Just being a participant was by no means the one aim for the workforce.

“We want to show the world that while this may be our first tournament it won’t be our last,” defender Megan Connolly mentioned. “We owe it to ourselves to put in a good performance and show the world that we deserve to be here and compete with the best teams.”

Ireland’s debut look additionally marks the nation’s first World Cup since its males’s workforce reached the spherical of 16 in 2002. The prolonged hiatus intensified the help the workforce obtained from Irish supporters in all elements of the world.

“The players have been taken back by the amount of Irish support,” Connolly mentioned. “We want to keep doing them proud and show them what we’re made of. We want to come out of this tournament giving them something to really cheer about.”

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Taft Gantt is a scholar on the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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