'I hope we can continue to play in Cork' - Ireland star O'Sullivan vouches for Páirc play-off

Denise O’Sullivan admits she hopes Ireland’s women return to her native Cork in December for the World Cup play-off final, their last shot at reaching Brazil next year.

Tuesday’s slender defeat to France ended a three-match winning streak in the qualifiers, sending them into the next Wednesday’s draw for a convoluted play-off system.

Success in finishing third ahead of Poland confers seeded status on Ireland, ensuring they cannot meet superpowers like England or Sweden in either the semi-finals or finals of the series.

Ireland will be drawn against a lower ranked team in the semis, due to take place in October, and the form book indicates a nation in the calibre of Scotland or Wales, who they've met successively in the last two play-off finals, await in the shootout in late November.

As with the semi-final, Ireland will be at home for the second leg on December 5.

Lansdowne Road could stage one or both of those legs but given last Friday’s 3-2 victory over fancied Netherlands made it a perfect record of three wins from three at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the Liverpool playmaker can see the merits in the FAI taking the decider south to the home of Cork GAA.

“Yeah, of course,” O’Sullivan said with a giggle about Cork’s attractiveness. 

“Three wins in three in Cork and last Friday was absolutely fantastic.

“I think the fans stuck behind us for 90 minutes. They were dancing and loud as ever at the end of the game. 

"It's a great atmosphere down there.

“I hope we can continue playing there, whether we do or not is another thing.” 

The playmaker returned from missing the Dutch game through suspension to harness midfield in Grenoble. 

As the squad’s most experienced campaigner, with over 100 caps, she was self-critical of her own display, while lamenting a litany of golden opportunities squandered to earn a draw or even the victory to usurp leaders France for that direct ticket to South America.

“France were on a different level and it was probably a game too far for us,” she surmised.

“We showed character and fight to keep pushing in the last 15-20 minutes of the game.

“If one of those chances went in, the game could have flipped and we would have ended up winning but no-one would have seen us being in the position of being able to qualify automatically for the World Cup.” 

It’s been a whirlwind year for O’Sullivan, between leaving America behind after a decade to join the Reds.

The football pauses for the summer but she’s got another big day out looming with her wedding to fiancé James, before attention turns to pre-season and the play-offs with Ireland.

Meanwhile, the FAI has made its final submission to Uefa in a bid to host the 2029 Women's Champions League final at the Aviva Stadium.

A decision on which venue will host the 28th final of the competition will be announced by Uefa in September. France, Switzerland and Wales had also declared interest in hosting the game.

"With support from the Government of Ireland – through the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport – Dublin City Council and Aviva Stadium, the FAI believes that Dublin is the perfect host city for the 28th staging of the Final of the top women’s club competition in Europe," the FAI said.

"Through a collaborative approach with key stakeholders, experience of successfully hosting the UEFA Europa League Final in both 2011 and 2024, as well as the preparatory work being done for hosting seven games as part of UEFA EURO 2028, the FAI aims to deliver a Final that will create a unique atmosphere in the world-class Aviva Stadium, showcase a vibrant, welcoming capital city, and leave a legacy that will further boost women and girls’ football in Ireland."