Dion Fanning: History is out of the way, Ireland can now return to days of miracle and wonder
“Come on Courtney.” As Australia prepared to take the penalty the cameras caught Marissa Sheva mouthing these words before closing her eyes as if in prayer.
Sheva had given away a penalty with a careless foul, turned to look anxiously at the referee, then asked if VAR could overturn the decision. With all lines of enquiry shut down, she had only one appeal court left: Courtney Brosnan.
Ireland, once again on a crucial occasion, were looking to their goalkeeper from the penalty spot.
There was no injustice about this decision but the penalty, so brilliantly converted by Australia’s Steph Catley, transported Ireland into a familiar arena.
At half-time, Vera Pauw had told her players that “this is a game that will be decided by one mistake”.
Pauw wanted her players to consider which team would be making this mistake. Perhaps this thought lingered too long in their heads because within four minutes, Sheva had given away the penalty that would decide the match and Ireland were chasing when their gameplan was based on not chasing.
Ireland had gone into the game stressing their underdog status with a determination that made it border on the corny. But the underdog position had also been assisted by events the squad could have done without, going back to the fuss about the celebrations in Hampden Park to The Athletic’s eve of tournament coverage of the allegations made — and strenuously denied — against Vera Pauw, as well as the chaotic abandoned friendly against Colombia.
Ireland’s preparation seemed to be doing the opposite of what preparations are supposed to do by putting them at a disadvantage. Then, just over an hour before kick-off, events appeared finally to turn in their favour. When it was revealed that Sam Kerr was
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