2023/24 UEFA Women's Nations League

[tetsujin1979]

The draw for the first Women's Nations League takes place at 12 today, live on uefa.com

Ireland are ranked top of League B


Pot 1

Pot 2
Pot 3
Pot 4


Republic of Ireland
Serbia
Ukraine
Greece


Poland
Slovenia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia


Czechia
Northern Ireland

Slovakia
Belarus


Finland
Romania
Hungary

Albania




Ireland drawn in Group B-1
Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland
Hungary
Albania

The fixtures will take place at the end of the year, with play offs and the final in early 2024
League stage
Draw: 12:00 (13:00 CET), 2 May 2023
Matchdays 1–2: 20–26 September 2023
Matchdays 3–4: 25–31 October 2023
Matchdays 5–6: 29 November–5 December 2023

Links
UEFA Women's League (https://www.uefa.com/womensnationsleague/)
2023-24 UEFA Women's League
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_UEFA_Women%27s_Nations_League)2023-24 UEFA Women's Nations League League B (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_UEFA_Women%27s_Nations_League_B)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_UEFA_Women%27s_Nations_League_B)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_UEFA_Women%27s_Nations_League)

[JR89]

Great draw getting Northern Ireland, Hungary, and Albania. Two bottom seeds and the third seed in Pot 2.

[geysir]

I see Ireland are the top ranked team in League B just missing out on League A status to of all teams, Scotland. Regardless, should be a banker for promotion to League A

[ifk101]

Potential for a good sing-song in that draw.

[JR89]

Play Northern Ireland in the first game of the campaign at the Aviva Stadium. Would assume only the bottom tier and premium seats will be open for this.

1660675879230484480

[nigel-harps1954]

If they were smart, they'd open this to all Season Ticket holders and try to pack the place out. At minimum, a reduced rate for mens season ticket holders.

[tetsujin1979]

Management team confirmed for the game against Northern Ireand and Hungary
1701947741956362442

[weldoninhio]

Great to see Tyler Toland back in the squad for NI, she must be delighted that her bully has been ditched.

[tetsujin1979]

Starting XI v Northern Ireland
1705537473680408903

[Insidetherock]

Giving Hungary a lesson here..

What I'd give for a male version of Denise O Sullivan.. she's different gravy on that pitch

[third policeman]

Lovely footballer and being allowed to play more now than under Pauw by the looks of things.

[Kingdom]

Lovely footballer and being allowed to play more now than under Pauw by the looks of things.

My two daughters have absolutely been bitten by the football bug and it's as much down to the WNT as anything. They both mentioned last night they could see how good O'Sullivan is (I'd told them pre-WC that she was our best player) they didn't see it themselves during WC.

[tetsujin1979]

100th cap for Diane Caldwell tonight against Albania
1717930335453823485

[Insidetherock]

This was being reported as "sold out".. am I missing something here???

Win tonight and pretty much guaranteed a place in the Euro play offs..

Just seen the qualification process for that.. tis a bit mad Ted

[Insidetherock]

Can Katie play with the men??

Everything she touches seems to go in

[tetsujin1979]

Still 0-0 after half an hour in the return game in Albania.
Rain coming in horizontally at the moment!
1719385264034849141

[NeverFeltBetter]

Farcical half of football. It can't be allowed to continue, surely?

[SkStu]

Farcical half of football. It can't be allowed to continue, surely?

Women's football definitely not as high quality as the mens game but that's a harsh take, NFB.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Suspended for an hour, will be evaluated then. Would be a pain in the arse to reschedule.

[pineapple stu]

It could feasibly be left unplayed as irrelevant, though you mightn't know that until after the last round of games (when Albania host NI)

[pineapple stu]

Farcical half of football. It can't be allowed to continue, surely?
Anybody else thinking of that Not the Nine O'Clock News sketch reading this comment...?

[samhaydenjr]

With the Girls in Green doing so well, is it time for them to play more games at the Aviva? Surely our cash-strapped Association could do with a couple of extra 30k crowds per year and that must be possible with the momentum of goodwill behind them

[nigel-harps1954]

If they could sell out the 10,000 capacity Tallaght Stadium every game next year they'll surely have to look at a couple of games, but a packed Tallaght will be a better option than a half empty Aviva

[Razors left peg]

If they could sell out the 10,000 capacity Tallaght Stadium every game next year they'll surely have to look at a couple of games, but a packed Tallaght will be a better option than a half empty Aviva

It would be half full....

[tetsujin1979]

Lineup for the final home game against Hungary
1730656217230393441

[Diggs246]

I believe it will be the first time the Irish national anthem will be played in a international match in northern Ireland

[seanfhear]

The sky will surely fall !

[tetsujin1979]

Kicking Katie McCabe really hard is never a good idea

[TonyD]

Kicking Katie McCabe really hard is never a good idea

That was some strike for her goal.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I believe it will be the first time the Irish national anthem will be played in a international match in northern Ireland

Did they just play GSTQ in 1993 and then play? Silly behaviour. Scared of a song.

[Diggs246]

Did they just play GSTQ in 1993 and then play? Silly behaviour. Scared of a song.

Yep they sure did. That game was a utterly toxic environment.

[EalingGreen]

Did they just play GSTQ in 1993 and then play? Silly behaviour. Scared of a song.They only played the SS in the corresponding game at Lansdowne, the home anthem-only protocol having been introduced from the two teams' first meeting in 1978. In Dublin.

But don't let the facts etc...

[Diggs246]

They only played the SS in the corresponding game at Lansdowne, the home anthem-only protocol having been introduced from the two teams' first meeting in 1978. In Dublin.

But don't let the facts etc...


Pretty sensible as well. Can you imagine the trouble that would have caused.

Probably a good time for the northern Ireland team to say goodbye to GSTQ or king. It's not ok to have an anthem that alienates nearly half your population

[EalingGreen]

Pretty sensible as well. Can you imagine the trouble that would have caused.Indeed.


Probably a good time for the northern Ireland team to say goodbye to GSTQ or king.Long since overdue in my opinion, and that of many other NI fans. (The Pavlovian "No Surrender" during GSTK at last month's game was more desultory than I ever recall, down to two or three hundred clowns on the Kop?)

But in the end, the IFA has doubtless figured that it doesn't want/need the massive sh1tstorm which 'the usual suspects', 90% of whom have never been to an NI game in their life, would be sure to kick up.

While changing it anytime before the Euro's in 2028 would inevitably be portrayed as a "sop" to the GAA/Casement/Sinn Fein etc


It's not ok to have an anthem that alienates nearly half your populationFor me, there is actually a more positive, and therefore compelling, reason for adopting something else. That is, since we already have our own distinctive colours, badge and flag, why not complete the set and adopt our own distinctive anthem?

Of course this would also have the benefit of acknowledging those players, officials and supporters who do not feel any affinity to GSTK, which is a good thing in itself.

But does anyone really imagine that if the IFA were to replace GSTK with Danny Boy (or whatever), large numbers of Nationalists in NI would suddenly feel more warmly towards the NI team, never mind switch any allegiance they may already have away from the ROI team?

In the end, a lot of complaints about GSTK from certain quarters (don't mean you) are just a convenient excuse to have another pop at the NI team, just as playing it provides a convenient 90 seconds for me to have a last minute p1ss before kick-off, while the toilets are empty!

So by all means change it, but for the right reasons, not for the sake of some (futile) gesture.

[seanfhear]

How about ~ ~ God Save Us from Harry and Meghan ? !

[Diggs246]

Indeed.

Long since overdue in my opinion, and that of many other NI fans. (The Pavlovian "No Surrender" during GSTK at last month's game was more desultory than I ever recall, down to two or three hundred clowns on the Kop?)

But in the end, the IFA has doubtless figured that it doesn't want/need the massive sh1tstorm which 'the usual suspects', 90% of whom have never been to an NI game in their life, would be sure to kick up.

While changing it anytime before the Euro's in 2028 would inevitably be portrayed as a "sop" to the GAA/Casement/Sinn Fein etc

For me, there is actually a more positive, and therefore compelling, reason for adopting something else. That is, since we already have our own distinctive colours, badge and flag, why not complete the set and adopt our own distinctive anthem?

Of course this would also have the benefit of acknowledging those players, officials and supporters who do not feel any affinity to GSTK, which is a good thing in itself.

But does anyone really imagine that if the IFA were to replace GSTK with Danny Boy (or whatever), large numbers of Nationalists in NI would suddenly feel more warmly towards the NI team, never mind switch any allegiance they may already have away from the ROI team?

In the end, a lot of complaints about GSTK from certain quarters (don't mean you) are just a convenient excuse to have another pop at the NI team, just as playing it provides a convenient 90 seconds for me to have a last minute p1ss before kick-off, while the toilets are empty!

So by all means change it, but for the right reasons, not for the sake of some (futile) gesture.

Rome wasn't built in a day baby! change it and its just another step in the right direction.. A big step for me was hiring Michael O Neill and this would be another one.

"why not complete the set and adopt our own distinctive anthem?"[
100% this is the way forward for NI, do it yourselves and be proud of how far you have come and who you are.

IMO NI should not be part of the UK or a Untied Ireland. do it yourselves and rook on, apply to join the EU in your own right etc etc

you can be British, N Irish , Irish, Europeans , Citizens of planet earth, whatever you want, no one should want to change how they identify

[tetsujin1979]

the FAI tweeted after the game that it was Megan Connolly's 50th cap, but I have my doubts
https://irish-abroad.appspot.com/Blog?id=7647184398623734766

[tetsujin1979]

Theread locked and archived