Irish women's soccer coach Vera Pauw has named her 23-player squad for the upcoming Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, including two American-born players in the squad.
Gotham FC's Sinead Farrelly, who qualifies for the Irish national team through her Irish father, and Washington Spirit's Marissa Sheva, who qualifies through her maternal grandparents, are both part of the 23-player squad that will travel to Australia on July 7 ahead of the Women's World Cup, which kicks off on July 20.
Farrelly, 33, only made her Irish international debut in a friendly against the United States in April and told the Philadelphia Inquirer that her international career has been "overwhelming."
"It’s been amazing; it’s been hard, difficult, challenging, beautiful, awesome, and joyful. I just think it’s been all the things," Farrelly said.
Farrelly broke her right arm playing for Gotham FC against Louisville on June 18 but was able to play the remainder of the game and will be able to take part in the World Cup by wearing a cast.
She added that she is only mad because the cast "doesn't look cool."
Sheva, meanwhile, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that her inclusion in Pauw's 23-player squad was "surreal."
"It doesn’t feel like it’s happening yet," she said. "I think that it probably won’t feel real until I’ve landed in Australia and we’re preparing for the opening game of the tournament."
She added that her inclusion in a World Cup squad is a "childhood dream come through", stating that she is "humbled" to be representing Ireland on the world stage.
Ireland will take on co-hosts Australia in Sydney in their first game of the tournament on July 20, before taking on Canada in Perth on July 26 and Nigeria in Brisbane on July 31.
Sheva said opening their World Cup campaign against the co-hosts in front of 80,000 people will be an "amazing experience" but said it will also be an enormous challenge.
"I think we’ve shown that we are a gritty group and that we have a lot of talent and we’re one of the hardest-working teams I’ve ever been a part of. So I think we have a chance to squeak out of the group," Sheva told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Ireland's 23-player squad is packed with players playing at the highest level, including Arsenal's Katie McCabe, who recently won the club's player of the season award, and Standard Liege's Amber Barrett, who scored the winning goal in Ireland's play-off victory over Scotland last October to send the Irish team to their first-ever Women's World Cup.
Pauw's squad will be based in Brisbane during their time in Australia.
The Ireland Women’s National Team squad to compete in FIFA Women's World Cup 2023:
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Defenders: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Áine O'Gorman (Shamrock Rovers), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Claire O'Riordan (Celtic), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Izzy Atkinson (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O'Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Sinead Farrelly (NJ/NY Gotham), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City)
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers)
Training Players: Sophie Whitehouse, Harriet Scott, Jamie Finn.
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