Women's World Cup Group A2 qualifying
Saturday, 7 March
Netherlands v Republic of Ireland, 7.45pm, Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht
TV
Watch live coverage from 7:15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
ONLINE
Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport.
RADIO
Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1’s Saturday Sport.
WEATHER
In what may be a shock for travelling fans, sunshine is forecast for the hours leading up to the game in Utrecht with temperatures sitting about 15 degrees. That’s fall to about 10 degrees when the game kicks off at 8.45pm Dutch time, with a bit of mist expected as well.
One big performance, zero points
Given the quickfire nature of such international windows, the psychological battles take on added significance.
For Ireland, much of their head game will be about responding to their heart-breaking 2-1 loss to France in Tallaght on Tuesday when Marie-Antoinette Katoto somehow denied Denise O’Sullivan a last-gasp - and thoroughly deserved - leveller.
The positives from the performance were obvious against classy opposition, but positivity doesn’t always transform into points and how Carla Ward would love to see her team get off the mark tomorrow evening at Stadion Galgenwaard.
So far, the response in public has been encouraging anyway.
"We want to go to Brazil more than anything. That’s our goal. We talk about it every day," said midfielder Marissa Sheva earlier this week.
"We we made it horrible for them," said Ward, no doubt salivating at the thought of landing more blows on a big name.
Mixed news for the Girls in Green
Good news and bad news from Ward in the lead-up to the game.
Katie McCabe, who is one yellow card away from a suspension, is fit, but O’Sullivan has been sent back to Liverpool due to injury.
O’Sullivan aggravated her right knee in the first half against France and although she played to the finish, this match is off the agenda.
Aston Villa’s Anna Patten, who could come up against clubmates Lynn Wilms and Chasity Grant, may be in line for a start in O’Sullivan’s absence.
It’ll be the first competitive game O’Sullivan has missed since sitting out a EURO 2024 qualifier against Sweden.
McCabe picked up a niggle when challenging France’s Elisa De Almeida, but she is good to go.
An expected early orange wave
Ireland are in the Netherlands for the first time since 2017 – Colin Bell’s side earning an impressive scoreless draw just three months after their hosts had been crowned Euro champions under current England boss Sarina Wiegman.
Ireland were 12/1 heading into that game and they’re not much shorter now, but there’s no doubting that Ireland are a different proposition nine years on while the Netherlands have endured a slight slide (although that Euro success was a surprise with five higher-ranked teams competing in the tournament on Dutch soil).
The Netherlands are unbeaten in five after a somewhat difficult 2025, and they opened their World Cup qualification campaign with a 2-2 draw with Poland – and it’ll not have escaped Carla Ward’s gaze that the Dutch struggled defending corners and looked vulnerable on the counter.
They were a threat at the other end though, Chelsea’s young defender Veerle Buurman and Jill Roord their goalscorers.
It was clear, and referenced by their players afterwards, that the tempo in that first half was just too slow. They’ll be aiming for a quick start this time around.
Head coach Arjan Veurink – formerly number 2 at England under Wiegman – will be preaching as much, especially in front of their home fans and on a better pitch given their game in Poland was played on a less-than-ideal surface.
A two-time World Cup final stadium
Stadion Galgenwaard has hosted two World Cup finals.....but in different sports.
In 1998, Netherland's were crowned hockey world champions in front of their own fans at the ground - Ireland failing to qualify for the tournament.
In 2005, Argentina won the Football World Youth Championship against Nigeria - a certain Lionel Messi scoring twice in a 2-1 final win.
The state of play
Ireland are guaranteed a place in the play-offs even if they finish bottom of the group, a safety net they earned by beating Belgium over two legs in last October’s Nations League promotion/relegation showdown.
The Netherlands are also guaranteed a place in the play-offs at worst.
Watch Netherlands v Republic of Ireland in World Cup qualifying on Saturday from 7.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport. Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
