Canada, after a disappointing draw against Nigeria, will look to get back on track against the Republic of Ireland. Ireland, who narrowly lost to hosts Australia, will also be looking to get a win against the Canadians. The Canada vs Ireland game will take place this Wednesday in Australia.
Canada vs Ireland Predictions for Wednesday’s Game
CanWNT (1-2-2)
The CanWNT will be under some pressure after not scoring in a scoreless draw against Nigeria. This is what Canada’s head coach, Beverly Priestman, said about the game (source: Neil Davidson of The Canadian Press):
“We’ve got to move on very quickly. You can get lost and be really down on that,” Canada coach Priestman said of the result. “Of course, the team and I are devastated we didn’t get three points. But at the end of the day, we got one [point] and we took two from another team.”
The Canadians had two golden opportunities to score in the game, one was a Nigerian turnover in their own end and another was a reckless foul on Christine Sinclair that resulted in a penalty. Unfortunately, Canada was not able to take advantage. Sinclair took the penalty to try and become the first player in women’s soccer to score in six FIFA Women’s World Cups but failed to convert the goal.
Christine Sinclair denied from the penalty spot in the 50th minute.
Great save by #NGA goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie to keep the #CanWNT / #CanXNT icon at 190 international goals pic.twitter.com/2ZmaJYI4qZ
— Canadian Soccer Daily (@CANSoccerDaily) July 21, 2023
This also marks the first time Canada did not win their opening match since the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In fact, in 2015, Canada won against China because of a late penalty scored by Sinclair. As a result of the draw, Canada has only won one game in their last five games and will need to improve their form as they play against Ireland. Note: The game between Canada and England was counted to the last five games played by Canada.
READ MORE: The CanWNT World Cup Expectations in 2023
Republic of Ireland (1-0-4)
The Irish played their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup game against Australia. They played against each other on July 20, when the Irish allowed Australia only two shots on goal. Unfortunately, for the Girls in Green, one of those shots on goal was a penalty, which helped Australia win the game and take the sole position of Group B. This is what Irish midfielder, Denise O’Sullivan said about the game:
It is hard to predict how Ireland compares with Nigeria. However, what is known is that the Republic of Ireland will put up a fight against Canada as they almost got a result against hosts, Australia. There is also concern, however, of the aggressive play of Irish captain, Katie McCabe. In particular, the tackle on Australia’s Hayley Roso. This is what BBC pundit Karen Bardsley said of the tackle by Conor O’Donoghue of the Irish Post:
“There‘s an element of petulance here from Katie McCabe,” Bardsley said. “These challenges from her have just started to add up now. “It is the referee‘s responsibility to manage those situations, because if you don’t nip it in the bud then it will just keep escalating. “We certainly don‘t want to see anyone either stretchered off or sent off.”
Head-to-Head and Time of the Canada vs Ireland Game
READ MORE: CanWNT World Cup Roster Analysis: Evelyne Viens on the Roster
The Canadians have only faced the Irish once before. This was back on December 3, 2014, in the Cyprus Cup. It was a close affair, with Canada edging the Irish 2-1. For Canadians watching the game nationally on TSN or for the French-Canadian speakers, on RDS, the game will take place on Wednesday at 8:00 AM ET. The game will take place in Perth at the Perth Rectangular Stadium on July 26, 2023.
Prediction: CanWNT 1 – Ireland 0
Canada will feel the pressure of being in the top-ranked countries in the world. They have all the tools to fight back and play well against the Irish. It will be a tight game, but Canada should prevail with their fantastic defence. It will be a difficult game though. For the Republic of Ireland, this is their first-ever World Cup appearance, but they also had to qualify from UEFA in Europe, which is probably the strongest region in the world. Canada will also need to put away chances into the back of the net, which they were unable to do against Nigeria.
Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports, of a CanWNT Headshot, on April 8, 2022.
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