Republic of Ireland Captain Katie McCabe Sustains Ankle Injury, Substituted in Defeat to France
During the match against France at Tallaght Stadium, Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe suffered an ankle injury, requiring immediate treatment. Despite initially attempting to continue playing after rolling her ankle, McCabe was substituted as a precautionary measure in the 31st minute. The timing of her injury raises concerns as the Republic’s first-ever World Cup match, scheduled against co-hosts Australia in Sydney, is just 14 days away on July 20th.
In the match, France secured a 3-0 victory, with Maelle Lakrar scoring a goal in each half and clinical forward Eugenie le Sommer finding the net in the first half. The opening goal came in the 41st minute when Lakrar broke into the area and played a low ball across the goal, capitalizing on a misjudged clearance by Heather Payne to squeeze the ball through the legs of Courtney Brosnan. Just two minutes later, Lyon forward Le Sommer extended the lead with a superb finish into the top corner after France skillfully exploited the home defense.
Unfortunately, Ireland’s strength in set pieces proved to be their downfall as the unmarked Lakrar headed home a third goal from Kenza Dali’s corner in the 61st minute. Looking ahead, the Republic is scheduled to face Colombia in a behind-closed-doors friendly on July 14th, ahead of their World Cup opener against Australia six days later. The fitness of Arsenal’s Katie McCabe will be closely monitored, leaving the team in a state of anticipation regarding her availability.
It’s worth noting that there have been allegations of body-shaming and inappropriate behavior made against a former coach, Pauw, by some unnamed ex-Dash players and staff from 2018. Pauw’s denial of these allegations, which first surfaced in a report on misconduct in the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League in December, garnered significant attention in the pre-match headlines.
