Courtney Brosnan is confident the Republic of Ireland will rise to a historic occasion at the Accor Stadium in Sydney today.
The World Cup finally begins for the Girls in Green who face a highly fancied Australia in Sydney.
Over 75,000 fans will be in attendance, with a considerable Irish presence anticipated at the landmark showdown.
It's a daunting first match for Vera Pauw's team but goalkeeper Brosnan has faith they have all the tools required to withstand an Aussie onslaught.
"It's amazing, difficult to put into words," she said. "Qualifying for World Cup was the dream and it’s added to by the biggest World Cup crowd.
"This is the biggest game of our careers but we have to take it for what it is. It's 90 minutes, 11 v 11.
"Resilience is part of Irish culture. You can see the progress off the pitch, where we've come on and that helps you on the pitch. The Irish never back out of a fight; we choose the big friendlies and it’s a dream to play against them."
Australia beat France 1-0 last Friday in a high-quality friendly in Melbourne. Tony Gustavsson's slick, powerful outfit have aspirations of winning the tournament and Brosnan acknowledged Ireland are going to have to be foot perfect to have any hopes of getting a result.
"I thought it was a great game between two top seeds," she said.
"It was nice to see them playing quality opposition before we play them.
"We know the quality of Australia and how they press and have changed since we last played them [in September 2021]. We'll do the proper analysis and be prepared.
"They've changed in the last couple of years but so have we. Australia have been a top side for years and are showing how dominant they are on the world stage.
"Everybody is excited. We control what we control. We're not looking for excuses. Everybody knows how important this game is and we have to take the opportunity.
"We wanted to qualify for a major tournament and the quality will be tough but these are the moments.
"Australia have star players and we don't underestimate the bench they have too. We’ll give a good fight."
Brosnan's family arrived in Sydney on Wednesday and were spotted mingling with other Irish fans and tourists on Bondi Beach and the Opera House.
The excitement levels are peaking now as a long build-up reaches its climax.
"It’s starting to feel real since we arrived in Australia," added Brosnan.
"Everyone is waiting for that first game. There’s been a lot going on over the last week but we’ve had full focus in Oz when we arrived.
"Throughout the campaign, we've seen the support from the whole country. There was already fans and no more are tuning in to see us inspire the next generation. It means the world to us. It’s a very special occasion.
"Singing the anthems before that massive crowd will be a dream come true. It can be overwhelming but we're used to big crowds. We can switch our mentality."
Brosnan will be almost certainly have a busy night as Ireland look to shut out Sam Kerr and Co but she's been tremednous in Ireland's toughest games over the last two years and is ready to deliver again.
"Kerr has scored against me but I reckon she’s scored against everyone in the WSL!" she laughed.
"No doubt she’s the best No 9 in the world. Her movement off the ball and get spaces, peeling off the back shoulder. We’ll need tight marking in the box to try to shut down any threat.
"We know Australia’s quality and that we’re the underdog. If you’re the underdog, you have to step up. The competition might be stronger but we embrace that.
"You usually can’t win a game unless you keep a clean sheet. It gives us a great foundation to go get goals. It’s part of our DNA."
Watch Republic of Ireland v Australia in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Thursday at 11am, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live commentary on 2fm
