Ireland booked their place in the Hockey World Cup finals with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Japan in the qualifying round in Santiago to finish third.
After the game, Sarah Hawkshaw, Hannah McLaughlin and Jessica McMaster scored in the penalty shootout and goalkeeper Elizabeth Murphy made three saves as Ireland won 3-1.
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Ireland wouldn’t be Ireland without penalty shootouts in major qualifying matches.
They missed out on the Rio and Paris Games but qualified for Tokyo by winning a tournament and can now add the 2026 World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium in August to that list.
“Absolutely delighted,” said relieved Ireland coach Gareth Grundy.
“I thought we were able to pick ourselves up and be disciplined tonight after losing to Australia in the semi-final.
“Really dominant, probably unfortunate not to win the race in normal time. Happy to get across the finish line.”
Ireland return home after five weeks in the Australian FIH Pro League.
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They defeated Australia for their first win of the tournament and qualified for their third consecutive World Cup.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to test ourselves again against the best players in the world,” Grundy added.
“I think the performance over the last few weeks, including the Pro League in February, I think we should probably be there and have a real chance to test ourselves again this summer.
“I think we want to continue to develop and get better every day. I think there’s a lot more to come from this team.
“We’re certainly not going to make up numbers at the World Cup. I think we showed we can compete with the top teams, so we need to perform well every game. If we do that, then we’ll see where we can be at the end of the World Cup.”
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Ireland lose in front of goal
Ireland dominated possession and territory in the first half but were unable to convert their advantage into goals.
Niamh Carey was inches away from slotting in for Emily Kealy, Jessica McMaster’s shot was saved and Charlotte Beggs hit the outside of the post.
Ireland’s high-pressure press led to Japan’s comeback, but several other scrambles in the circle were unsuccessful.
The Japanese sustained the pressure for just a few minutes, winning four consecutive corner kicks but ultimately nothing came of it.
Ireland experienced more frustration in the third period when Killie saw another shot go wide before the ball somehow sailed over the crossbar from Michael Carey due to a deflection by the Japanese goalkeeper.
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With two minutes left, Ireland thought they had scored. During the scramble in front of the goal, Katie Mullen poked the ball into the net from close range.
Ireland’s celebrations didn’t last long as, in the referee’s judgment, the ball hit Mia Jennings’ back stick.
Penalties were a must and Ireland gathered their nerve to advance in dramatic fashion.
Ireland beats France to win gold
Ireland capped off a perfect week by coming from behind to beat France 2-1 in the World Cup final thanks to two goals from Gregory Williams.
With both sides qualifying for the World Cup, the match became a battle for ranking points and ninth place in the world.
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If the game wasn’t that important, neither side showed it as the game turned into a slugfest.
France took the lead early in the second period with Noe Jouin’s superb goal from the corner.
Ireland launched a counterattack just before half-time when Williams’ corner kick was too hot for French goalkeeper Corentin Saunière to catch.
Williams had another chance just after half-time and his shot was more powerful and caught Saunier in the air.
Ireland have scored 21 goals in their five World Cup wins, but their defensive work has been the cornerstone of their success and they needed to prove that again in the final quarter.
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Goalkeeper Jamie Carr made three world-class saves to keep France at bay, while the corner defense thwarted their opponents three times in the final 90 seconds.
“It’s great to qualify for the World Cup this week and it puts some demons to rest,” Carr explained.
“While this game might not mean much on paper, obviously playing a country like France in a competition like this is always going to be a tough game, so it’s good to go out and make some statements.
“They pushed us right down to the last minute, but we defended hard and played as hard as we could. [We’re] I’m very happy with this win, it’s a great way to end the week in Chile. “
The team will turn its attention to this summer’s International Hockey Nations Cup, followed by the World Cup in August.
