Vera Pauw didn’t need to see much more than a few clips of Sinead Farrelly playing in some small-sided games to be convinced that she was a potential World Cup star in the making.
Contact between the pair had been initiated last summer, six years into the former USA underage prospect’s retirement from football.
Farrelly was looking for a way back into the game and, with a Cavan-born dad, wanted to try her luck on the international stage.
But Pauw couldn’t find much footage of the 33-year-old, who hadn’t played since she suffered serious neck and back injuries in a car accident in 2015.
“We were already in talks with her during the summer before we qualified. I was open about that,” said Pauw yesterday.
“You know the background, the car accident and coming back to the game.
“She took six months to return to training so I couldn’t find a lot of footage.
“Then she sent a video of a small-sided game she’d played with her university.
“At that moment, I said to my husband, ‘come and have a look here’. Just those few touches, we saw it against the USA, she buys time for others, not just herself.”
Between 2015 and this year, despite signing for Boston Breakers in 2016, Farrelly hadn’t played at any level.
She signed for NY/NJ Gotham FC in March, just a few weeks before her Ireland debut against the USA, and has been slowly building up her fitness since then.
“She says it’s like starting again. Although she’s in her thirties, her body feels like she’s in her twenties,” said Pauw. “She said she doesn’t have all the bumps that others had in their career and felt fresh.
“I have to give a huge compliment to her coach in the NWSL. He didn’t overuse her. She has managed so well, incredibly in the playing minutes by having full games.
“You can see progress with every touch she makes. We can see that growth in sharpness, speed and defensive qualities. We saw those touches against the USA. There was no doubt about her.”
Pauw believes Farrelly is ready for back-to-back games in the World Cup.
“Yes. There’s five days in between (games),” she said.
Farrelly won’t be the only US-born newcomer to the side. Marissa Sheva, with family in Donegal and Tyrone, made her debut against China in February and started both games against the USA in April.
“She creates a lot of space for Katie (McCabe),” said Pauw. “She is serving with her abilities to fight for the ball back, win the ball back, make sure that stays with us.
“That ability with her power forward, I don’t know if you notice the way that she is attacking the goal and scoring also, but that brings her as a very, very important player for our team.”
