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Anatomy of a shootout: How the Green Army stole the summer

Updated / Friday, 28 Dec 2018 08:53
Ireland go wild after Gillian Pinder's winning penalty
Ireland go wild after Gillian Pinder's winning penalty

It was hot at the London Olympic Park.

Britain and Ireland were being baked by an August heat wave, one which had not relented since June and led to hosepipe bans, crop failures, even unlikely archaeological discoveries [a drone over the Boyne Valley had picked up a previously unseen henge in Newgrange, exposed on the parched ground].

This was deckchair-in-the shade weather; a time for ice-creams and suntan lotion, icy drinks and barbecues.

And yet here was Graham Shaw's Ireland, scorching the earth as they threatened to steal away an  unfathomable World Cup glory.

They'd just played out a 1-1 draw with Spain, and were heading for their second consecutive penalty shootout. Win this one, and they would make the final. 

Had any of the Green Army had the time to really consider the scale of their achievement they probably would gazed into the sun and drifted off to dreamland, but there was no time. This was happening. 

The shootout defeat of India in the quarters was especially sweet because it exorcised some painful demons.

In June, 2015, Ireland had been beaten on penalties by China in a World League 3 quarter-final. That defeat ultimately cost them a place at the Rio Games. It was a devastating blow, and still fresh in the minds even as they defied all the odds in England.

Nobody wanted to suffer that pain again. But there were two things going for Shaw's charges.

Firstly, they really had got the monkey off their backs with that win against India. That was an itch that needed to be scratched.

And secondly, they had Ayeisha McFerran. She'd replaced Emma Gray in goal for the shoot-out loss against China and pulled off two stunning saves. In the three years since, 22-year-old McFerran had established herself as one of the finest keepers in the world.

Her team-mates didn't just believe she could save at least two Spanish penalties. They knew she would. And that gave them a serious advantage.

We might miss. But you definitely will. 

The players gathered in the centre circle and readied themselves for the drama. Ireland's Katie Mullan went for the toss with opposing captain Georgina Oliva, who called heads. It landed tails.

The second-lowest ranked team at the tournament would go first.

PENALTY 1: GILLIAN PINDER (Ireland 1-0 Spain)

Gillian Pinder was the sole change to the five Irish takers who'd done the business against India. She stepped in for Rosin Upton, and shouldered the responsibility of going first.

With an eight-second shot clock to contend with, the Pembroke Wanderers midfielder showed remarkable composure to first wait for goalie Maria Ruiz to commit, and then scoop home the rebound after the first attempt was saved. Goal. But not without an anxious wait.

The Spanish referred it to the video review referee for a suspected stick tackle but it was all good. Ireland were one up.

Gillian Pinder: "We do a lot of practice in training and would have seven or possibly eight takers. On the day of a match of those seven or eight you have to select five so it's whoever is feeling good, whoever wants to take one.

"I didn't actually realise I was going to take one. In the quarter-final against India, I wasn't one of the five takers. When we were in the centre circle against Spain one of the girls decided she didn't want to take one, so I knew then we only had four. It kind of fell on my shoulders whether I wanted it or not. 

"We won the toss and it was decided we were going first. I was still unsure whether I was taking one or not. When I realised I was, I tried to get a bottle of water but they wouldn't let anybody on to the pitch. By the time I got my water they were like, 'you're up!'. I didn't actually have any time to take in the madness of what was about to happen, which was a good thing."

PENALTY 2: BEGONA GARCIA (Ireland 1-0 Spain)

Now it was McFerran's time to shine. She stood tall against Garcia, forcing her to delay her effort and eventually swipe at a strike that fizzed through the keeper's legs and past the post. Her preparation was paying off.

Ayeisha McFerran: "We do a lot of work in training for different situations, different types of shots or penalties that we might face. We were very fortunate, we were able to get video of them actually in a shootout, of what their attackers do. In such a high-profile situation, when it's very tense, you normally go back to your instincts. 

"But we were able to use the video, and what we trained on to go out and suss the players out, kind of dictate it and block their strengths. It worked out quite well. I knew what they were going to try and do. It really helped me."

PENALTY 3: ANNA O'FLANAGAN (Ireland 1-0 Spain)

It was never going to be plain sailing. O'Flanagan had scored the only goal in the 1-0 group win against India that sent Ireland into the quarters but she blinked here, albeit after a retake. Her first attempt went to a referral for a suspected stick block. Second time round, Ruiz spread herself to force the strike wide. Spain were buoyed. But the Irish goalkeeper was on fire.

PENALTY 4: BEATRIZ PEREZ (Ireland 1-0 Spain)

McFerran read this one like a book. Perez tried to jink left and then swipe it across the keeper's body but the attempt was saved, and then swatted away to safety by the Antrim woman, who was sweltering under her gear in the conditions.

Ayeisha McFerran: "After the full-time whistle went, I was so hot. I took the helmet off, grabbed my bag, put an ice pack on my head and tried to drink water as much as possible to cool myself down. It helped me calm my mind as well. I can confirm, it was hot!"

Gillian Pinder: "Ayeisha is hugely talented. Psychologically it was huge because you just knew she was going to save one or two, if not three, if not four of the opposition's penalties."

PENALTY 5: Roisin Upton (Ireland 1-0 Spain)

The tension was incredible at this point. Upton had scored in the shootout win against India by going to the keeper's right on the reverse stick. Here, she went left, drilling it right across the face of goal and wide. Her team-mates, huddled on the halfway line, could barely watch.

Gillian Pinder: "With a one v one, there's eight seconds to take it. Eight seconds doesn't sound like too long, but you can do an awful lot in eight seconds. Some people go in with a plan to execute a particular skill. Other people don't. They rely on the goalkeeper going to ground, a gap opening up and you being able to put the ball in the goal."

PENALTY 6: GEORGINA OLIVA (Ireland 1-1 Spain)

When the Spanish needed a cool head, their captain delivered. McFerran clinked the frame of her goal with her stick as she prepared to face the penalty down but Oliva looked confident on her approach and showed utter conviction as she slammed the ball low into the bottom right corner. Ireland's advantage was wiped out.

PENALTY 7: ALI MEEKE (Ireland 1-1 Spain)

Meeke had flicked home a terrific penalty against India but Ruiz had done her homework too. The versatile midfielder tried to repeat the trick; this time her nonchalant drag was stopped by an outstretched left paw. Advantage Spain.

PENALTY 8 CARLOTA PETCHAME (Ireland 1-1 Spain)

A huge moment. McFerran saved the first attempt but Petchame scooped home the rebound. Was it inside eight seconds? It went to a referral. No goal. She was a good second outside the time frame. Now Ireland had the chance to pile the pressure on their opponents. 

PENALTY 9: Chloe Watkins (Ireland 2-1) 

In the final Irish penalty of the regular shootout, Watkins showed nerves of steel to move Ruiz left then right before sliding it under her body. Ireland had their noses in front. Spain had to score to force sudden death. What came next was one of the most outrageous displays of confidence you'll see in a high-pressure sporting situation. 

PENALTY 10: LOLA RIERA (Ireland 2-2 Spain)

Riera had actually had quite a poor game but when the pressure was at its highest she produced the most exquisite lob to keep her country's hopes alive. Having weighed up her options in front of the imposing McFerran, the Spaniard lifted a beautiful finish over the keeper and into the net. 

Ayeisha McFerran: "It was good. I'll give it to her. I think she knew she wasn't going to beat me by skill or speed. She's a very good defender but personally I wouldn't say she's the most skillful player in their squad. I knew she was going to do something different; I had no idea what. What she did paid off. Fair play to her. You just had to clap. You can't get angry over ones like that."

Gillian Pinder: "Everybody started clapping. It was that good. I have tried it before. I tried it once against Australia and didn't get enough flight on it and the keeper clawed it away!"

PENALTY 11 GEORGINA OLIVA (Ireland 2-2 Spain)

For sudden death the teams switched over. Spain's Oliva would go first. Players from both sides had their heads buried under their shirts. It was almost too much to bear. Not for the zen-like McFerran though. She read Oliva's intentions, scooping her drag left out of the air and booting the ball away. Ireland were now one successful penalty away for the World Cup final.

PENALTY 12: GILLIAN PINDER (Ireland 3-2 Spain) 

It came down to Pinder. And she delivered. A remarkably composed penalty was rolled past Ruiz's left leg and Ireland, stunned and euphoric, went wild. Shaw danced onto the pitch, visibly shocked and soon mobbed by his back-room team. Pinder was mobbed too by a swarm of green bodies who rushed towards the Irish support in the stands. It was almost impossible to process.  

Gillian Pinder: "Chloe had taken our last one, and she's better at them than I am. She's more skilful. But when it came to deciding who'd take the sudden death penalty, Chloe was struggling to get her heart rate back down after taking her first one. She didn't say she didn't want it, but she didn't say she did. So I kind of knew at that point... I was like, 'right, I'm taking this'. I can't actually really remember taking the second one." 

Ayeisha McFerran: "For me, it didn't sink in. When Gillian scored I just stood there and was like, 'what is happening right now?'  Honestly, it still doesn't seem real.  So many people are telling us stories of how the country got on board and went crazy. We'll never understand the scale of it. It's going to be a blur for a long time."

In the aftermath Pinder told RTÉ Sport: "We are living in our own little bubble and we absolutely love it."

Back home, the bubble blew up. Ireland would lose the final to a supremely talented Netherlands outfit but it didn't dull the impact of their fairytale run.

At a triumphant homecoming event in Dublin Shaw said he hoped "huge things would happen". They already had. 

From total outsiders to the story of the summer. You really can do an awful lot in eight seconds. 

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