Women's World Cup
Canada v Republic of Ireland, kick-off 1pm Irish time
TV
Watch all the action live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Coverage begins at 12pm. Peter Collins presents all the action alongside Karen Duggan and Megan Campbell. George Hamilton and Stephanie Roche will be your commentary team.
RADIO
Listen to live commentary on RTÉ 2fm.
ONLINE
Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app for updates and video highlights, followed by report and reaction from Perth.
WEATHER
Temperatures of around 12 degrees are expected come the 8pm Australian time kick-off, but it's the rain which will be a major concern. It's likely to come down throughout the day including during the match
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Ireland face the moment of truth
Tournament football always brings a simple formula. Lose your first game in a group which sees two teams progress and you can't afford another defeat.
All of Ireland's tenacity and clever tactics against hosts Australia counted for nothing in points total.
This is a new dawn and the key factor is whether Ireland can create the goal-scoring chance needed.
They did have moments late on against the hosts with setpieces a key element.
Vera Pauw offered a very blunt answer in terms of her approach to this game. She believes Ireland have to play three centre-halves, simply because they have no pace.
"The thing is, you do realise that we have to play five at the back, eh?" she said when asked about becoming more expansive .
"That is our biggest problem. Why? Because we have fantastic defenders but they are not the quickest. If you don't have cover, then you will get five or six one-v-ones to the goalkeeper every half. And that is what we're dealing with."
That sentiment won't have shocked Canada.
Lark' here now
Abbie Larkin announced herself onto both the Irish and world stage with her cameo appearance against the Aussies.
The question is now whether she should start.
With the 5-3-2 or 5-4-1, it's certainly easier to leave her out and the weapon of a pacey, skillful substitute who can change a game is one to value
What an impact 18-year-old Abbie Larkin made today. We discuss her prospects of starting in Perth on the daily World Cup podcast #wwc2023 #coygig
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 20, 2023
🇮🇪Apple https://t.co/IAUalErygc
🇮🇪 Spotify https://t.co/S6lmZaEDsr
🇮🇪Or wherever... https://t.co/MnBUkAee9z pic.twitter.com/rfakt0kI66
Pauw's approach has often been a conservative one. Time will tell is she sticks with the attack from the Australia game. Marissa Sheva and Sinead Farrelly could be the vulnerable ones.
Green wave
Ireland will be backed by a considerable support in the Perth Rectangular Stadium.
Several thousand supporters will be present and this time without the home advantage Australia possessed.
It's a lovely compact stadium with over 32,000 capacity.
The teams have met before
Ruesha Littlejohn scored Ireland's goal in the only previous meeting with Canada in 2014, showing what a veteran the midfielder is in the squad.
There are 15 places between the two teams in the FIFA Women's World Rankings with Canada seventh before the tournament opener and Ireland number 22.
Canada boss wants to match Irish physical
Canada are expecting a physical game but coach Bev Priestman pointed out her squad is well-known for their physicality as well.
"I think (Ireland) do what Canada does and puts their body on the line for their country," Priestman said on the eve of their game in Perth.
"We have to match it and hope that our quality shines through, but definitely first and foremost, match that passion, hard work, (be a) horrible team to play against, and that's what we pride ourselves on, and (Ireland) know that about Canada too. I think it's a two-way street."
"By no means are we going into the game thinking it is going to be an easy game," Priestman said. "I've seen the level of passion and spirit."
Canada also under pressure
The Olympic champions had to settle for a scoreless draw in their opener against Nigeria.
Given Australia are next, it's a must-win for them.
Following the opening stalemate, Priestman showed a picture of Argentina celebrating their 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar to her dejected players gathered in the dressing room, reminding them that Lionel Messi's team had lost their opening game to Saudi Arabia.
Defender Ashely Lawrence added: "Sport is so relatable and when we see that example, it just shows that a tournament is long and Bev has always told us it's day by day, it's a process, it's a marathon not a sprint.
"Any team coming into this tournament can win it and we have shown being Olympic champions, we have the experience in tournament play at the highest level and we're taking it day by day."
Team news
Defender Louise Quinn has with a foot injury picked up in the loss to Australia but the FAI say she will be available for selection.
However, there are major concerns of whether it will transpire that way. Apart from that Ireland will be working with the same squad as the opener.
Jessie Fleming, who scored two penalties in the gold-medal game at the Tokyo Games, remains an injury doubt for Canada after sitting out the Nigeria game.
Additional reporting: Reuters
Watch Republic of Ireland v Canada (1pm) in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Wednesday from noon, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live commentary on 2fm from 12.45pm.
Watch every game from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live on RTÉ, with comprehensive coverage of the Republic of Ireland across television, radio and digital.
