Marissa Sheva banishes Sydney demons and eyes bright horizons

You'd need to have a cold heart to begrudge Marissa Sheva her moment on Friday night.

The American-born midfielder capped a bright cameo off the bench with a fine goal as the Republic of Ireland fired home a glut of late goals to beat Georgia 6-0 in their Euro 2025 play-off semi-final.

Tomorrow night's return game in Tallaght is a non-event now, but for Sheva, a sweet moment in green was a long time coming.

It’s 15 months since Hayley Raso went down like a sack of coal after feeling a Sheva nudge on her back 51 minutes into Ireland’s World Cup opener against Australia. That split-second lapse in concentration gifted the Matildas a penalty and, ultimately, victory.

Later, the cameras would capture a distraught Sheva on the bench, her eyes stung red with tears.

Sheva fell out of favour after the tournament. Vera Pauw was always an admirer of her capabilities, but her exit - and Eileen Gleeson's arrival - left Sheva out in the cold for almost a year as newer faces came on the scene.

A move to Portland Thorns last March invigorated the pacy Pennsylvanian.

Gleeson took notice, and last Friday she gave the 27-year-old her first minutes in 14 months as a replacement for Lily Agg.

A sprightly showing, and of course that precious goal, meant a lot.

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When asked if she thought her Ireland days might be over, Sheva replied: "Yeah. But it’s a decision entirely out of my hands. At some point you’ve to let that go and do what you can at club level to prove yourself. I didn’t fully give up