Republic of Ireland secure World Cup play-off spot despite defeat to France
The Republic of Ireland have secured a seeded play-off spot for next year’s World Cup in Brazil despite narrowly missing out on automatic qualification following a 1-0 defeat to France in Grenoble.
Carla Ward’s side finished third in a daunting League A qualifying group, registering three impressive victories over the course of the campaign.
The bottom seeds were widely tipped for immediate relegation but defied expectations to become the first promoted team to survive in the top tier.
Pride amid qualification heartbreak
The visitors pushed the group winners all the way at the Stade des Alpes before a fine strike from Melvine Malard settled the fiercely contested match.
Momentum briefly swung in the away side’s favour when Thiniba Samoura received a red card for bringing down Emily Murphy.
However, the Irish failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage, with Abbie Larkin missing a crucial opportunity to level the scoreline moments later.
Ward looks ahead to crucial autumn play-offs
Their third-place finish ensures the team will be a formidable seeded opponent when the play-off draw is conducted on 18 June.
The manager expressed a mixture of deep pride and frustration after her squad fell agonisingly short of an automatic tournament berth.
“I’m incredibly proud of this group and I said it to them there,” Ward told RTE.
“We’ve got a special, special group who work unbelievably hard.”
“France are a top, top side and the fact we are here disappointed tells you an awful lot about where we are.”
The former top-flight boss remains highly optimistic about their prospects, emphasizing the significant growth her players have shown throughout a grueling qualification schedule.
“We are in a really good place going into October and that has to be the focus,” she added.