Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe scored a stunning goal in the opening minutes of her side's 2-1 loss to Canada on Wednesday, curling the ball directly into the net from a corner in a tournament highlight for this year's Women's World Cup.
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, who led from the front throughout the cold and blustery night, her side was unable to score again and the Olympic champions fought back to douse any chance of Ireland progressing to the knockout stage. "With the rain and the wind, it obviously helped the ball swing into the back of the net. (I was) delighted to see it go in and get us off to a good start, it was obviously bittersweet because we lost the game," the left-footer told reporters.
The goal was Ireland's first in a World Cup, and McCabe was mobbed by her teammates when the perfectly flighted ball evaded Canada's keeper Kailen Sheridan in the fourth minute. "It was just about putting it in the area where it's going to be difficult for the goalkeeper," she added.
With one game in hand, Ireland will be left to rue their missed opportunities in this tournament, having lost 1-0 to Australia thanks to a penalty and conceding an own goal which allowed Canada to equalise.