8 of us – Tamara, Deirdre, Rose, Susan, Mary McPherson, Donna, Maria and myself headed to Kopenhagen on Friday evening. Thunder was rolling and lightning was flashing as we boarded our plane. We had to wait an hour and a half so the storm could pass. Arrived safely on Danish ground and got to the hotel around 1am.
On Saturday we got to the grounds in loads of time. Same venue as in 2007. Pitches didn’t have much shelter – so it was a windy auld spot. Apart from the hard ground and the bit of wind it was great football conditions. We did a nice long warm up and got ready for our first match.
5 ladies team. This meant that the tournament was not spilt into groups. So we would have to play every team – Munich, Copenhagen, Belgium A & B. No Paris meant no ears ringing from their roaring in French, English or any other language and no tactics or tricks that they always try on. Belgium brought 16 players. Copenhagen and Munich brought 11 each, so we were certainly at a disadvantage for numbers. Our matches would therefore be 7 a side.
Forste leg: Munich.
All teams are difficult to predict. It always depends on who turns up on the day, but I think Munich are probably the most unpredictable. The game got under way, it was all systems go, expect for my left leg. Don’t think my brain was connected to it (the “move on” message wasn’t transmitted) and it started to hurt and I was struggling to move. A roar from Murtagh confirmed that my leg was still not working. I subbed off and our only sub, Mary, made an earlier than expected entrance on the pitch. We normally don’t have a great first match in a tournament, but this was an exception. It was a great game. A tough game which could have gone either way. Everyone played really well. Susan and Maria made a great partnership up front. Susan had 2 goals, Maria one, and a couple of points each. Deirdre also did a great job marking the girl who won player of the tournament in Munich - she didn’t feature in this game!
We won by a point! Final score: 3-5 to 2 -7
Secund leg: Brussels A
With their full compliment of players, we knew that it was going to be a very tough game for our now 7 players (after testing my leg, it still wasn’t connected to my brain and refused to work!). However playing 7 a side didn’t suit Brussels A all that much. Ok granted they did have the luxury of being able to sub players and the other luxury of having a team of seasoned players. With the Kerry All-Star in their back line making life difficult for our forwards, and passing the ball down to their forwards who were going for goals, they beat us well. We scored a goal and a couple of points. They scored 8 goals and a couple of points. Due to the strong wind that picked up during the game and the heavy wooden posts taped on to the goals the goal post toppled over. Thankfully Tamara was standing in a spot where the posts fell over her (she was caught in the net) and not standing in a spot where they hit her.
Tredje leg: Kopenhagen
Copenhagen was a team of 11 made up of a few local girls who started training with the Copenhagen lads this year, Monica from Barcelona, a player from Paris and a girl from Estonia (more about her later). We had absolutely no idea what they were going to be like to play against. A very strange match. Very distorted. Their goal keeper (who I learned that evening had to be kept in goals as she was deemed to be too fiery (re: dangerous) to play out field , as I think Donna can testify to). I can only hope that it was because they didn’t know the rules that they were rough. The ref could have done a better job of pointing out the rules to them and indeed pulling them up when they broke them. Maria took whallop to the jaw and had a bit of a tumble and Rose’s hand got a bad belt of a ball or a person (which we discovered after the game when her hand started to balloon). Tough and rough game to play. We beat them well.
Fjerde leg: Brussels B
After the goals posts were pinned down and first aid had had a look at Rose’s increasingly swelling hand, we discussed what we were going to do. With my left leg refusing to work and Rose’s hand very sore and very swollen we were down to about 6 and a half players (not sure how we calculated the half bit). Of course Rose, the fighter that she is reckoned she’d get through another game. The only option if Rose couldn’t play anymore was for me to go in goal and Tamara to play out field. We initially thought about Rose saving herself for the final, but of course we needed to get there first! So Rose stepped up to solider through the match with Brussels B and sit out the final. But the best laid plans and all that… About half way through the first half Rose got injured. There was no option then, our brave, battered and bruised Rose had to come off. Which meant I had to go in goal and Tamara outfield. Brussels B have improved which is great for them, but means the matches aren’t as easy to get through as they used to be. We won, but by a narrower margin that previously.
The final
Having beaten all teams except for Brussels A, we reached our objective for the day and made it to the final. The final was of course against Brussels A. We agreed with Mide and the ref to play a 10 minute a side final (instead of 15 mins…. It had been a long long day). With both the Hague and the Amsterdam lads supporting us on the sideline we faced up to the final and we certainly put it up to them. It was a typical game against Brussels A - tough and at times disheartening. In goals I got a ball kicked right to my face (still have headaches from it – going to the doctor in the morning). The final score according to the ref was 2-7 to 0-2. According to the umpire, the Brussels team and their coach, as well as ourselves, the first goal they scored shouldn’t have been a goal as the whistle was blown well before the “goal” was scored. No amount of objections from the umpire would make him change his mind. Nevertheless it’s the smallest score they’ve had. We’re closing in on them and we’ll have them in Maastricht.
It was a great performance from everyone. Over uitstekend in fact. Everyone gave it their all and that is all anyone can do. We are definitely closing the gap on Brussels. We are the only team who can beat them and we have one chance left to do it this year.
The third half started in the club house. After a great feed – 3 little pigs roasted over a spit fire and 4 types of spuds (I’m still deciding which were my favourites) the speeches (which never get shorter) and the presentations started. The ref (not this one: the groom at 10 secondshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d__vYP6srFI) was full of praise for us and gave us a really lovely mention in his speech, to which we got a great round of applause. I was really hoping that a Holland lady would win the player of the tournament award, but we’ll have to wait until the Maastricht tournament for that as well.
They also gave a special mention to the girl from Estonia, who after learning Gaelic Football in Spain set up a club when she returned home. She is currently coaching 10 girls and 5 guys at training. We discussed a visit from Holland Ladies. We’ll go there next year when it warms up. She extended an invite for us to stay with the families – very sweet. Keep it in mind for next year.
Thanks girls for everything ye did on Saturday….
Tamara
You’re improving your goal keeping skills all the time and got braver and braver as the day went on. For the match and a half you played out field you were great. Hope you enjoyed your birthday cycling around Copenhagen!
Deirdre
In backs you did a great job, particularly in the match against Munich marking the player of the tournament from Munich out of the game.
Rose
Forever dependable. As soon as the ball comes anywhere near you, we all breath a sign of relief. You as usual put up a great performance on Saturday. Nice point from a free in the Belgium A game! Hope the hand, the arm and the leg all recover soon.
Susan
You and Maria looked liked you had played together for years. Ye made a great team up front! You had great catches, challenges, calling, great goals and points. I have no doubt you were in contention for the player of the tournament award.
Mary McPherson
You’re hardly in the country 5 mins and are already a star in the Holland Ladies team. Playing in mids and forwards you did a fantastic job. It seemed like you’ve been around for ages! That point you chipped from the ground was one of the best points I’ve ever seen.
Donna
There’s fire in that there Sharkey belly. You’re so confident on the pitch and give it your all in every game. You’re improving all the time. I’ve no doubt you’d have been able for that Copenhagen keeper if the moment arose!
Maria Murtagh you did a great job as usual up front Vice Captain. You’ll have that one from Kerry yet.
Right ladies, it’s Maastricht or bust. Firstly we need to know who is going. There’s only 7 on my list at the moment. Please let me know asap if you are going so we can begin to prepare. We also have a chance of ending up second in the European tournament.
I hope I’ve painted a picture of the tournament.
Given thåt I lost the piece of påper with my notes scribbled on it åbout the gåmes ånd of course my concussion , I’m going on my hazy memory alone!
