On July 20 at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, Vera Pauw will manage the Republic of Ireland as the country makes its Women’s World Cup debut against joint hosts Australia.
After qualifying for a major tournament for the first time, Pauw dedicated the achievement to “all women in Ireland”, with the 60-year-old saying: “If you really want something and you put all your effort in it together as a group, then anything is possible.”
The images of Pauw and her Irish players celebrating their success at Hampden Park in Scotland last October, however, are at odds with the descriptions of a manager described by one former player as “the most terrible coach I’ve ever had”; a woman who, according to another ex-player, “created a culture of fear” during her time at National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side the Houston Dash in 2018 and would comment on her players’ weight and appearance.
Pauw, her players and staff celebrate Ireland reaching the World Cup (Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
“We were all afraid of her because we had no idea what she was going to do,” said one former Dash player, speaking to The Athletic on condition of anonymity, like others in this article, for fear of retaliation and a desire to keep working in soccer….
