Vera Pauw has described next Thursday’s sold-out World Cup qualifier against Finland as a ‘final’ - and she says her players are ready to handle the pressure of the occasion.
A win at Tallaght Stadium would guarantee a play-off place, while a draw would all but seal second spot, given that the Finns face Sweden in their final game.
Pauw declared: “It’s a final, we really feel it’s a final.”
She warned that the visitors next Thursday should be regarded as favourites on the night, given their seeding and the fact that they played in this summer’s European Championships.
But having pulled off a famous 2-1 win in Helsinki last year, confidence is high within the fan base.
“I want to repeat – and I am not downplaying – I don’t see us as favourites. I see that this is a big, big game and it will be very difficult to get a result,” she insisted.
“The situation is completely different to the first game. I hope you remember that we scored early and I hope you remember how we have played under pressure later in the game.
“It is a really hard game but we will be ready and we will do everything we can to get a result.”
But she added: “This squad is special. This squad is so special.
“We have played in front of a big crowd in Sweden, a big crowd in Finland.
“Everybody was saying, ‘Will this bring up the pressure for them?’.
“We’ve played almost a full house at home. These players are independent of that.
“Of course we work a lot on being independent of it – it’s not coming by itself.
“But I’ve never seen a team responding so well in different circumstances than this team.
“They are so focussed, they really know what they are doing on the pitch.
“We’ll see if that’s good enough. But no, I think it will only be a boost for us.”
Pauw wants her players to enjoy the atmosphere next week, when more than 7,500 supporters are expected to pack into Tallaght Stadium.
The match sold out in just over half-an-hour and the Dutch ace said: “We have earned this position. So why would you neglect it?
“This is us, this is what we earned over the last years. Not the two years that I have been in charge, but going back over 20 years.
“In 2008, this team qualified for a play-off for the Euros – Áine O’Gorman was already in that squad at the age of 16.
“This team has grown step by step by step by step. And now we are in the position that everybody expects something from us.
“We know what we want. We have found our limits. That is why we played those games against the big opponents last year.
“We know our limits and we know that we are growing.”
Pauw named her squad on Friday morning for the double-header at home to Finland next Thursday (7pm) and away to Slovakia on Tuesday September 6 (5pm Irish time).
Goalkeeper Eve Badana, defenders Harriet Scott and Megan Campbell, midfielder Ellen Molloy and forward Leanne Kiernan return after missing the 9-0 victory away to Georgia.
Hayley Nolan, who has converted from midfield to defence with London City Lionesses, is selected for the first time since making her debut away to Belgium in April 2021.
Injuries rule out the quartet of Savannah McCarthy, Aoife Colvill, Rianna Jarrett and Kyra Carusa.
“It's not an easy job to do (beating Finland),” Pauw warned. “Many are thinking ahead of it.
“But Finland was the better team away. And we stole the points over there.
“The thing is, this is their last chance. They will not underestimate us. And we have to know where we stand.”
Finland lost all three matches at the Euros - against Germany, Spain and Denmark - and in the aftermath manager Anna Signeul resigned.
However, Pauw said: “They have three major games in their legs at this moment, with a rest period in between.
“So we need to see where we stand. The thing is we need to be ready as always, and then we need to see if it's enough, and if luck is a bit on our side.”
SQUAD
Goalkeepers : Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion), Eve Badana (DLR Waves)
Defenders : Harriet Scott (Birmingham City), Claire O’Riordan (Celtic), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Megan Campbell (Liverpool), Áine O’Gorman (Peamount United)
Midfielders : Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Ellen Molloy (Wexford Youths), Jess Ziu (West Ham United), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City)
Forwards : Heather Payne (Florida State University), Amber Barrett (FFC Turbine Potsdam), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Abbie Larkin (Shelbourne), Saoirse Noonan (Durham WFC)
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