O'Sullivan agony as dark cloud descends over Ireland's World Cup prep
Soon to share the world stage, Ireland and Australia seemed worlds apart on Friday as contrasting moods arose from their final preparatory assignments.
Whereas the Matildas basked in conquering another top-10 seeded team France before a record crowd in Melbourne of 50,629, a darker, more sombre note descended on Ireland’s final training match against Colombia, all of 1775 kilometres north to Brisbane.
Only a sprinkling of laypeople beyond the players and staff, chiefly children from the nearby Queensland school, were at Meakin Park to hear Denise O’Sullivan writhing in agony from a sinister Colombian lunge.
Her scream piercing the night sky in this remote setting spoke not just of the pain inflicted on her shin but the mental realisation in that very moment that her World Cup dream could potentially be robbed.
Vera Pauw saw enough by that 20th-minute mark to down tools and take her team off the pitch. A pair of bookings, the second one on O’Sullivan lenient, wasn’t in keeping with the purpose of this workout.
The South Americans are also at the World Cup but clues of their restlessness were flagged when Nelson Abadía disembarked the team bus barking instructions to keep the media out of sight.
That overturned an earlier agreement between the two associations that media be allowed in conditional on details of Colombian selection and tactics remaining within the perimeter fence.
That wasn't a problem for the media, but Abadía ruled otherwise — all the more bizarre given their World Cup opponents are entitled to footage from the match.
The Germans, Morocco and Colin Bell’s South Korea won’t decipher much from a game lasting three quarters less than scheduled, other than their penchant for tackling the opponent and
Read on irishexaminer.com
