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Republic of Ireland head coach Eileen Gleeson and her side face Wales in the EURO 2025 play-off final
But now they face a far tougher challenge against Rhian Wilkinson’s outfit, who they have already lost to this year in a friendly.
It could hardly be tougher for Eileen Gleeson’s team as they face a side that they are familiar with and are of a similar level.
While Ireland went to last year’s World Cup after winning a play-off, Wales missed out having lost one.
Then the Girls in Green won their League B – Europe’s second tier – in the Nations League to be promoted, and Wales were relegated from League A.
This year, Ireland were relegated from League A in the Euro 2025 qualifiers while Wales won promotion from League B.
And the complicated qualifying system means both now meet in the play-offs with only one able to go on to next year’s European finals in Switzerland.
But having been at last year’s World Cup, San Diego Waves striker Carusa insisted that Ireland do not care who they face, as it is all about being in with the big fish again next year.
Carusa, 28, said: “At the end of the day, for us the opponent was always going to be the variable, but the non-negotiable is that we want Euros next summer.
“That’s what we are hunting right now.”
Even the experience in February of losing 2-0 in Tallaght to Wales in a friendly, when Carusa was a second half substitute in an experimental line-up, does not put her off.
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She added: “Between personnel coming in and us as a team, the games we’ve had under our belt, we definitely are a bit of a different team to earlier this year, as they will be.
“I think that whenever our backs are against the wall, it’s kind of like this end-all, be-all moment, I always back us, I always bet on us.
“I think that’s when we are at our fiercest and when we come out with our best intent.
“We have been here before, it is a familiar feeling and before, we were like ‘oh, it’s the first time’ and those feelings are always a little bit unnerving.
“But I think the biggest thing for us is that we remind ourselves that this is a familiar feeling, this is a familiar situation and us as a squad.
“We fully prepare and understand the circumstances in front of us. It is more of an excitement now.
“I see this camp in November, December time as that kind of opportunity for us. It’s everything to play for.”
The first leg is in Cardiff on Friday November 29 before the return leg at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday December 3.
That home second leg is by virtue of being the League A team in the qualifiers, and Carusa is sure it is an advantage.
But she admitted that Ireland will need to improve on their showing against Georgia, despite the comfortable victory.
She added: “We need to be clinical and very, very specific with our opportunities, because they are not going to come as they do tonight or another night.
“I think that is so fair for her to say, because we are competitors and we want to be in the Euros next summer, so you have to be considering these things.”
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Publish date : 2024-10-30 22:00:00
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