European Qualifier
22.09.2011 at 19:45 - Turners Cross
Irish fans are given the opportunity of seeing one of the top rated teams in the world in Ladies Football in action tonight at Turner's Cross when Ireland play France at senior level in the EURO Championship of 2013.
This represents a major challenge for Ireland who will be striving to turn the form-book upside down with a squad managed by an experienced coach in Sue Ronan and composed of an effective mix of experienced and emerging young players.
Ireland opened their challenge for the EURO 2013 last week by travelling to Wales and winning 2-0. France, who were semi-finalists in the Women's World Cup competition in Germany, opened their bid for EURO 2013 by beating Israel 5-0.
France lost the third/fourth place play-off in the World Cup to Sweden in July to be placed fourth and a measure of how popular the French women's team is in their homeland was provided when they returned from the World Cup.
A record 18,305 supporters turned out to offer their congratulations and encouragement when they played Poland in Stade Bollaert, Lens, in August in a friendly.
The match, treated as a victorious home-coming and important preparation for the current EURO competition, was won 2-0 by France and the attendance was a record in France for a friendly match.
The high popularity of the women's game in France is also due to the success the French clubs have had recently. Olympique Lyonnais won the Champions' League for the first time at Fulham's Craven Cottage last May.
They beat FC Turbine Potsdam 2-0 in the final. And there was added satisfaction for the French as they had lost the final in 2010 to the same opponents when they met in Getafe.
Ireland then will face a team brimming with confidence and with ambition. But the Irish are not without ambition themselves for they contested the play-offs in the last EURO Championship and in recent years have steady progress at this level.
Women's football is one of the fastest growing sports in Ireland and there was a fresh surge of interest when Ireland lost narrowly to Spain in the U17 EURO Championship final in June of last year. That team went to the World Cup in Trididad & Tobago a couple of months later and beat Canada and Ghana but lost to Brazil and Japan.
One of the goal-scoring stars of that team was Denise O'Sullivan and despite her youth she showed how capable she was of stepping into Ireland's senior team by scoring the two goals which helped Ireland beat Wales in the current Championship.
It is expected that she will again start against France alongside Fiona O'Sullivan who was born in California with family ties to Bantry in Co. Cork. She has scored a remarkable five goals in her eight Irish international matches.
The presence of such experienced players as goalkeeper Emma Byrne and defender Yvonne Treacy of Arsenal and Áine O'Gorman of Doncaster Belles in Ireland's team is a source of confidence to the Irish. And they will look to the fans at Turner's Cross to offer the support and encouragement they will need if they are to turn the French over.
The manager of Ireland's squad, Sue Ronan, said: "France were unfortunate to lose the semi-final of the World Cup to the USA and they are a technical and fast team.
"This will be a huge step-up for us for I felt France and Japan (who won the World Cup) were the two best footballing teams in the competition.
"But while we appreciate the task in front of us we know anything can happen and we will be looking to the local fans to give us the backing and support that will help us take points off them".
Also in the same group in the current EURO Championship alongside Ireland and France are Wales, Scotland and Isreal.
* Tickets for the game will be on sale at the turnstiles and cost €5 for adults and €2 for school children.
Fixture:
Women's EURO 2013 qualifying match;
Republic of Ireland v France, Turner's Cross 7.45 pm
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