IRELAND STAR DEFENDER Diane Caldwell says it would be “monumental” if the Girls In Green were to reach a first-ever major tournament.
Vera Pauw’s side continue their Euro 2021 qualification campaign against Montenegro this afternoon [KO 3pm, live on RTÉ], with the FAI confirming this morning that it will be played behind closed doors amid the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
Diane Caldwell celebrates her goal against Greece with Denise O’Sullivan.
Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
Should Ireland win the crunch qualifier, they would go top of Group I. All-conquering Germany currently sit top, and will have a game in hand.
But with the group winners and three best second-placed sides qualifying automatically and the six other runners-up heading for play-offs, three points in Budva today would leave Ireland in good stead ahead of their final three games.
Germany-based Caldwell — Ireland’s goal-scoring hero against Greece last week: “A bit of a surprise, I don’t score many but it’s always nice to score,” she said after hitting her second international goal on the night of her 75th cap — is confident they can do it.
Though she wouldn’t get too far ahead of herself early on in the post-match mixed zone, she eventually allowed herself to dream for a few minutes when the prospect of reaching England 2021 was put to her.
“We are in a good position but we just have to keep focused and — I know it’s an old cliché but — get the three points in the next game,” the SC Sand player said.
“But we are more than capable. You can see the group of players we have now, everyone is playing at a really high level, which makes the difference. We never had that years ago. We had a handful of professionals, not even maybe.
“But you can see that we have so much talent now; good strong players, athletic players, and we can compete with the top teams.
“It would mean everything to me and to this team to qualify.”
The Balbriggan native notes that coming so close in 2019 World Cup qualification in an extremely tough group alongside eventual finalists the Netherlands, and Norway, instilled belief that this group can achieve something special.
There is serious momentum behind the team, it’s just about breaking that duck and finally reaching the Holy Grail of a debut major tournament.
Caldwell and her team-mates pre-Greece.
Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
“You can see with the success of the last World Cup that women’s football is on the up and up,” Caldwell continued. “If we were to do something here in Ireland, you know what the Irish fans are like, everyone would get behind us and it would be monumental.
“It would be a great occasion and for the next generation it would give them something to believe in, and something to strive towards.”