Preview: Time to wash away the pain of past failures

The Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualification journey began back in December 2020.

Figuratively, not literally.

The group draw wasn't even made until April 2021, with Ireland's first match against top seeds Sweden taking place in Tallaght the following October, when a spirited home side fell to a 1-0 defeat.

The campaign started then, that chilly autumn night when Louise Quinn's unfortunate own goal settled a scrappy contest.

But the journey... the heart and soul of the mission to make a World Cup for the first time, that flickered into life just as everyone was sifting through the ashes of a failed Euros campaign.

The autumn/winter of 2020 was a cruel one for Ireland. A 1-0 loss to Ukraine had fatally damaged their hopes of making the Euros play-offs; and it stung. Aine O'Gorman's freak own goal; Katie McCabe's missed penalty; chance after chance squandered. It felt like it wasn't meant to be.

A 3-1 loss to Germany in Ireland's final group game confirmed their fate, and uncertainty descended on the camp. Everybody was raw, but the priority for the FAI at that time was clear: keep Vera Pauw.

The Dutch coach had been a rejuvenating force since succeeding Colin Bell and although it felt like she had unfinished business, her future plans were not set in stone.

"I'll go home, discuss it with my partner," the manager said three weeks before Christmas. "I was crying and right now, of course yes [I want to continue], but I first need to rest."

By February, a refreshed Pauw had penned a contract extension that would keep her at the helm until the end of the World Cup qualification campaign and Ireland were ready to reset.

There were positives in that opening-night loss to Sweden but also frustration Ireland didn't pinch a point.

Howeve