Meabh DeBurca ready for the German challenge

Méabh DeBúrca is now firmly established in Sue Ronan's Irish senior squad and is looking forward to testing herself against the best when Ireland take on the might of Germany on Saturday 5^th April in Tallaght.

Qualification for the World Cup is still a big ask, with only the group winners automatically getting through and they will have to contend with the Russians in addition to the World number 2 ranked Germans. However this is the place Ireland want to be, competing with the best and constantly playing teams ranked above them.

Méabh explains that in the recent Cyprus Cup every game was a stretch but they coped very well.

"We played four games, led in each one and we were unlucky to lose to the Canadians.

"They are ranked seven in the world and we feel we should have won that game and would have no fear of playing them again."

The Irish squad also played New Zealand, Korea and Switzerland and matched them in every respect on the field but in terms of resources they are playing catch up, with the highest ranking nations having multiples of the budget available to Ireland.

Under Sue Ronan, however, the national team have achieved an admirable level of respectability and consistency of performance that has seen them rising in the rankings. They now have an experienced and youthful squad, ideal really for 'blooding' new players, where the 'older hands' can look after the fledglings.

The last time we played Germany, Méabh DeBúrca was a 17 year old rookie in the squad.

"We played away, there were ten thousand at the game and we held them to 1-0, an amazing experience. We would love to have a good crowd for the game in Tallaght."

"We are in camp all week before the game in Dunboyne - they look after us really well there. I will be joining up late on Monday evening this time as the 'day job' has kicked in!"

Since returning to Galway Méabh has secured work with RSA Insurance and she says they have been very understanding with her international commitments.

"They really have been great about time off for games," explains Méabh.

It has been an adjustment for Méabh coming home to play, gaining fulltime employment - a quantum change from playing professionally in Norway & Sweden and previously playing on the collegiate scene in the US.

However, refreshingly, Méabh DeBúrca has a very mature outlook. Football is a very fickle occupation, with little tangible reward in the women's game and while the star is rising for Irish women's soccer, it will still be a long time before a critical mass of players and coaches will be able to make a living solely for the sport.

So how challenging a task will this game be for Méabh and her colleagues this week.

"The Germans are the standard setters in Europe," Méabh points out.

“We won't fear them, but we will respect them and look to play to our strengths. The games in Cyprus have given us great confidence - playing back to back games against higher ranked countries showed us we belong at that level. "

The analysis from the Cyprus games will be available to the players when they get to camp this week. The analyst for the squad Gerard Dunne has plenty of footage from the Cyprus Cup and will have captured and analysed in specific detail with Sue Ronan so the game plan can be put in place ahead of the weekend.

A monumental task lies ahead for the Irish squad when the Germans come to town and the Russians waiting in the wings for a similar visit in May. The squad is virtually at full strength with the possible exception of Niamh Fahey who is recovering from an ACL injury and "we are a happy squad" says Méabh.

There can be few more honest and dedicated players than Méabh DeBúrca, she deeply loves playing the game but has her feet firmly planted on the ground also. She understands that there will be no overnight success without hard graft, mixed with no little skill and the confidence to 'go and compete'.

It's that combination and a smidgeon of bloody mindedness that might well upset the Germans on Saturday.