I don’t think anyone was too enthused by what we saw from Ireland under Carla Ward in their Nations League B campaign. It was as if the team didn’t really know who it was, it had lost its identity. Well, against Belgium over the two legs of the playoff, it was as if a switch was flipped. Ireland looked a different beast.
They were excellent in the first leg last Friday, but what impressed me more than anything was how they responded to going 2-0 down in Leuven come Tuesday.
A lack of composure ultimately cost them in last year’s Euro 2025 playoff against Wales, they just didn’t have it in those crucial clutch moments. There could easily have been a mental hangover from that, especially when the brilliant Tessa Wullaert scored twice for Belgium in those six first-half minutes.
But this time they showed maturity, they reset.
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