Ireland call on McCabe despite 8-0 lead as England told to be more ruthless

The second legs of the Women's World Cup play-offs are about to begin, and the three England, Ireland and Northern Ireland teams are in very different psychological places. Ireland won 8-0 away in the first leg but their manager has still called two key players back in. England return home with a two-goal lead but face repeated questions about their finishing. Northern Ireland, four goals down, are clinging to the hope of one last swing. The first-leg scorelines have already sketched the shape of qualification, but all three sides are treating the second leg as a test of squad depth and mentality. ^{[1][3][4][5][6]}

Ireland: no rotation despite 8-0 as McCabe and O'Sullivan return to Cork

The Republic of Ireland beat Kazakhstan 8-0 in Astana to take a huge advantage in their Women's World Cup play-off first leg. But that win came without captain Katie McCabe, who was suspended, vice-captain Denise O'Sullivan, who did not travel because the game was played on an artificial surface, and Marissa Sheva, who was also suspended. Manager Carla Ward has confirmed that both McCabe and O'Sullivan will play in the second leg in Cork. 'Katie and Denise will play, let me be very clear,' Ward said, adding that the team want to step up again and stay front-footed. The two players are, she said, arguably among the greatest Ireland have ever had, and if they are fit and available there is no reason not to use them. ^[1][3]

The first leg also showed Ireland's depth: Kyra Carusa scored twice, while Chloe Mustaki, Emily Murphy, Abbie Larkin, Jamie Finn, Shanade Hopcroft and Jess Stapleton each scored. Kazakhstan captain Yuliya Myasnikova was sent off in the 33rd minute. Finn was drafted into the starting XI and scored her first senior international goal, while Larkin also impressed. Ward stressed afterwards that there is fierce competition in every position. 'We are no longer just a team built on culture, we are a very good football team,' she said, arguing that the mutual push for places can only help the squad's next targets. ^[1]

Ireland's Cork record: three wins from three at Pairc Ui Chaoimh

For O'Sullivan, the second leg is also a homecoming. She is from Cork and the match will be played at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Ireland have won all three games they have played at the venue, including a 3-2 comeback against the Netherlands in World Cup qualifying earlier this year. O'Sullivan missed that game through suspension, so she now has the chance to play in front of her home crowd. Ward is well aware of the ground's significance and wants to maintain the winning record while preparing for a play-off final against Belgium or Poland. The 8-0 lead has all but secured a place in that final, but Ireland have chosen to finish the tie with a full-strength side. ^[1]

England: two-goal lead but 26 shots and only three goals

England beat Greece 3-1 in Crete last Friday and take a two-goal lead into Tuesday's second leg in Leicester (19:30 BST). The first-leg performance was not entirely reassuring: England had 74% possession and 26 shots, but scored only three goals, conceded in the second half and saw Greece hit the crossbar with a powerful strike. Alessia Russo started, while Beth Mead came on as a substitute. Manager Sarina Wiegman has already demanded more ruthlessness in Leicester, and BBC Women's Football Weekly has made 'how to become more ruthless in the final third' its discussion topic. ^[4][5][2]

Poor chance conversion is not a new problem. Since finishing as runners-up to Spain at the 2023 World Cup, England have repeatedly struggled with attacking efficiency. At that tournament they beat Haiti and Denmark 1-0 in the group stage, got past Nigeria on penalties and came from behind to beat Colombia 2-1 in the quarter-finals. In World Cup qualifying this year they have played well but have not won comfortably, edging Iceland and Spain and again lacking firepower against Greece. The data still shows they are creating chances: against Greece they had 58 touches in the opposition box and completed 210 passes in the final third. Midfielder Keira Walsh admitted the hesitation in front of goal is 'frustrating', but stressed that failing to reach the final third at all would be a bigger problem. 'What is missing is the final pass, the final cross and the final shot,' she said. ^[5]

Wiegman has broken the improvements down more precisely: the team can get into good positions, but must then deal with offside traps, make the right pass at the right time, time their runs correctly and decide between crossing, cutting the ball back and picking out the far post. Individually, Arsenal midfielder Georgia Stanway has scored 10 goals for England since Euro 2025, making her the team's leading scorer in that period and placing her in the top three for international goals among European players, at an average of one goal every 81 minutes. England need more players to match that efficiency. ^[5]

Northern Ireland: looking for one last swing from 'impossible'

Northern Ireland lost 4-0 to Portugal at Inver Park in Larne in the first leg of their play-off. Manager Michael McArdle, who took over in March, admitted that the dream of a first World Cup appearance has gone from 'unlikely' to 'impossible'. But in Portimao he said his side will still take 'one last swing': if they can score first in the second leg and change the course of the game, the situation might move back from 'impossible' to 'unlikely'. The 2027 Women's World Cup play-off will kick off at 19:00 BST on Tuesday, 13 October, and will be shown live on BBC iPlayer. ^[6]

In the first leg, Portugal took an early lead through Telma Encarnacao, Jessica Silva doubled the advantage and a Rebecca Holloway own goal made it 3-0 inside the first half hour. Northern Ireland improved after half-time and dominated after Catarina Amado was sent off, but could not turn pressure into goals, and Fatima Pinto sealed the 4-0 win with a long-range strike. McArdle also handed debuts to Jane McMaster, Casey Elmore and 16-year-old Charlotte Haveron. Reflecting on the game, he said Portugal exploited the space between the centre-backs and an inexperienced full-back pairing of McMaster and 19-year-old Emily Cassap, while his own team failed to turn territorial advantage into goals. Because striker Cora Chambers was sent off late in the first leg, Northern Ireland will be without her in the second leg; all other players are available. Even if a miracle happens, Iceland lead Croatia 4-0 from the first leg in the other section and would be the likely next opponents. ^[6]

The common thread across three second legs

For all three teams, the question before the second leg is not whether they can win, but what state they enter the next stage in. Ireland must maintain intensity and their home record from an 8-0 lead while reintegrating key players such as McCabe and O'Sullivan. England must solve the problem of turning 26 shots into more than three goals as they prepare for a play-off final and beyond. Northern Ireland must find a performance that shows progress despite a four-goal deficit. The things to watch are: how Ireland manage their line-up in Cork and a play-off final against Belgium or Poland; whether England can turn touches in the box and passes in the final third into goals in Leicester; whether Northern Ireland can create early uncertainty in Portimao; and how Iceland versus Croatia in the other section shapes the next round. ^[1][4][5][6]