Reigning Olympic champions Canada broke Irish hearts at HBF Park on 26 July, coming from behind to earn a 2-1 win in front of 17,065 fans and extinguish the Republic of Ireland's hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals. The "Girls In Green" couldn't have got off to a better start in this match if they tried - an "Olimpico" against the Olympic champions, no less! It began with a third minute attack which saw the Quinns, Louise and Lucy, combine on the right, the latter whipping in a low cross for Kyra Carusa. Kailen Sheridan's brave save at the striker's feet came at the expense of a corner, which the brilliant Katie McCabe - by some distance the best player on the pitch in this match - curled directly into the net by the far post to give Eire a dream start to a game they could not afford to lose. Canada were stunned by this early setback, and Eire weren't slow in their bid to take full advantage. Denise O'Sullivan fed McCabe, who set off on a swashbuckling run from halfway which took her all the way to the Canadian penalty area, where she went down under Kadeisha Buchanan's challenge. No penalty was forthcoming, but Eire were fuelled by passion, and came again two minutes later. Niamh Fahey picked out Sinead Farrelly, who worked a one-two with Carusa before seeing her twenty-yarder turned round the post by Sheridan. Canada were all at sea in the early stages of the match, and the rain which was tumbling down didn't aid their cause one iota. The game was Eire's for the taking, but somehow Bev Priestman's charges managed to restrict their opponents to just the one goal. The "Canucks" even went close themselves in the 23rd minute, the talented Jordyn Huitema pouncing on an Aine O'Gorman error to sting the gloves of Courtney Brosnan from twenty yards. Buoyed by this, the Olympic champions threatened again on the half-hour. Ashley Lawrence, after recovering from a hard knock, picked out Jessie Fleming with a pass which invited Canada's captain to deliver an angled cross into the danger zone. Buchanan flicked it on into the stride of Vanessa Gilles, who stole in on the blindside of the Irish defence to find herself with the goal at her mercy. But from point blank range, she scooped the ball over the bar when scoring seemed a given - a huge miss in the circumstances! Canada pressed again five minutes later, Julia Grosso sending Huitema hurtling through the inside right channel, from where she fired in a low cross intended for Fleming. The covering figure of O'Gorman had other ideas, however - 1-0 it remained. Eire threatened to double their lead twice in the next six minutes, O'Sullivan's twenty-five yarder sizzling over the bar after good work by Farrelly, before McCabe slipped Carusa in behind Buchanan, who simply wasn't at the races in this match. The striker's acute-angled drive was parried then grabbed by Sheridan. With the first half all but up time-wise, Canada drew level. Fleming evaded a challenge on the left before delivering a cross which was turned goalwards by Megan Connolly, the bounce completely deceiving Brosnan and before crossing the line via the far post - 1-1. The Irish were stunned, and nearly conceded a second before the interval, Grosso's corner to the far post seeing Gilles beat Brosnan in the air, only to direct her header the wrong side of the upright. It was all change at Grand Central Station for Canada at the start of the second half, coach Bev Priestman making three changes to rouse the Olympic champions from their slumbers. One of the new introductions needed no introduction, Christine Sinclair wasting little time in stamping her mark on proceedings by picking out Huitema with a pass which invited a shot on the turn, an effort

thwarted by a super save from Brosnan. Canada were a team transformed by the changes, however, and in the 53rd minute took the lead. Ashley Lawrence fed Quinn - not to be confused with the two Irish players of the same name! (Commentator's nightmare, this!) - who battled past an opponent before bringing Sophie Schmidt into play. The substitute's angled ball into the area found Adriana Leon racing in off the right, and she gleefully steered the sphere beyond Brosnan - 2-1, a lead the scorer went close to increasing two minutes later via a curling effort which arced narrowly past the far post. Brosnan was again called upon just after the hour, this time keeping out a Sinclair shot after she had worked a one-two with fellow veteran Schmidt, who had revealed pre-tournament that these Finals would mark the end of her career. Eire looked to respond, and McCabe - the beating heart of their side - was inevitably front and centre of their efforts. She worked a one-two with Ruesha Littlejohn on the left before picking out Carusa with a cross. The striker beat Sheridan in the air but was unable to direct her effort on target. It was all change for the Irish soon after, Vera Pauw clearing her bench with three substitutes, but while they were getting up to speed, Canada threatened to take the game away from their cross-Atlantic rivals. Fine work on the left by Huitema created an opening from which the overlapping Lawrence - a solid game - crossed for Sinclair. She directed her shot at Brosnan, who gobbled up Huitema's header from a Cloe Lacasse cross soon afterwards. Eire's 'keeper looked on with relief twenty minutes from time as Lacasse's flying header flashed past the post on receipt of a Lawrence cross, prompting a response from the Irish, specifically you-know-who! Thirteen minutes from time, McCabe set off on another of her swashbuckling runs, this time taking on and beating four opponents before seeing her shot diverted past the far post. Five minutes later, Eire's captain got the better of Quinn and set sail downfield before blazing a shot over the bar. A further five minutes elapsed before the next chances came to pass, and this time it was the team in red who were threatening to alter the scoreboard. Fleming and Sinclair - wonderful ball control - combined to play in Huitema, who was denied by a timely block. From the resulting corner, the statuesque striker - at 22, Huitema is set to be Canada's attacking spearhead for the next decade at least - saw her header grabbed by Brosnan, who looked to spark a late flurry from Eire via her resulting clearance. They threatened once, but Sheridan was right behind Lily Agg's twenty-five yarder. But that was as good as it got for the Republic of Ireland, this 2-1 loss bringing a premature end to their World Cup dreams, as with two defeats coupled with other results, they've no chance of progressing to the knockout phase. Unlike Canada, who now face the task of avoiding defeat against co-hosts Australia in their final group match to ensure their passage to the last sixteen - little wonder this was quickly tagged "The Group of Death" when the draw was made, given it also contains perennial contenders Nigeria … given such opposition, the luck of the Irish was definitely out when the draw was made ten months ago! Canada:     Sheridan; Riviere (Chapman, 90), Buchanan (booked, 36 (Zadorsky, 46)), Gilles (booked, 61), Lawrence; Fleming, Quinn, Grosso (Schmidt, 46); Huitema, Viens (Sinclair, 46), Leon (Lacasse, 59) Eire:          Brosnan; Fahey, Louise Quinn, Connolly; O'Gorman (Sheva, 59), O'Sullivan, Littlejohn (Agg, 65), McCabe; Lucy Quinn (Larkin, 46), Carusa (Barrett, 65), Farrelly (Atkinson, 65) Referee:     Laura Fortunato (Argentina)