PERTH, Australia – A pair of “horrible” teams will look to match their opponent’s physical play and intensity when Canada and the Republic of Ireland take to the pitch at the Perth Rectangular Stadium on Wednesday night in Western Australia.
Leading up to kickoff, Bev Priestman’s comments have been splashed across Irish papers and taken out of context. While Ireland likes getting stuck into a tackle, so does Canada.
“Horrible team to play against and that’s what we pride ourselves on, and we one million percent have to match that,” Priestman told reporters on Tuesday. “They know that about Canada too. I think it’s probably a two way street. Ultimately we’ve got to stay with the process and what we think it’s going to take to beat this Irish team and stay clear headed. There’s parts of the Irish team where if you’re not careful you can get drawn into that, they can take you down a route that’s going to take you off task.”
Republic of Ireland head coach Vera Pauw not only welcomes a physical match between both teams, but she expects it because of the caliber of football that both teams play.
“It is the top level,” Pauw exclusively told The Equalizer ahead of Ireland’s training session in Perth. “The physical battle is always there. We do not shy away from that. If it’s within the rules and the health and safety protocols, we don’t shy away from that.”
