The Americans are here, and Irish football is better for their presence.
Plenty was made of Kevin O’Toole’s inclusion in the Republic of Ireland senior men’s squad for the recent qualifiers against Portugal and Hungary. The 26-year-old is a regular in the MLS for New York City, but his selection, even considering the number of injuries and suspensions at left back, was questionable.
On the women’s front, however, US soccer is full of talent with Irish surnames keen to capture the FAI’s attention.
This past season Kelly Brady scored 26 goals for Athlone Town. The New Yorker’s form could earn her a contract at an English club or a spot on an American roster in January.
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“I’m a free agent now,” Brady revealed. “I haven’t signed back with Athlone and am keeping my options open, seeing what suits me best.
“There’s pressure to go and go play in England but I’ll do what’s best for me and see what falls on my plate. I’ll weigh up my options and go from there.”
Ireland’s English manager Carla Ward is well connected, having previously coached Aston Villa, so Brady has had some trials.
“There’s things happening,” she added. “There’s nothing on the table or set in stone.”
Brady’s two cup final headers to overcome Bohemians were enough to convince Ward that the 23-year-old can add value to a squad that already includes big personalities from across the Atlantic Ocean.
Courtney Brosnan’s heroics in the Ireland goal means she is an inspiration to girls across the country. Marissa Sheva transformed, before our eyes, from a Penn State track athlete to Ireland starter with a habit of scoring spectacular goals. Since 2020, Kyra Carusa has led the line with aggression and composure.
Besides the established trio, Sinead Farrelly made a brief but memorable impact in midfield at the 2023 World Cup. Farrelly’s personal story and will to play international football before she was advised to retire last year due to post-concussive syndrome left an indelible impact on the game.
Now could be Brady’s time to shine. A behind-closed-doors friendly against Hungary in Marbella on Saturday would be as good a place as any to make her debut, although Carusa and the returning Leanne Kiernan could slow her rise.
“Coming from the US, I played a lot of sports growing up, including Gaelic, I tried running around to cause chaos for defences. That’s what I do.
“I’m fit and up to speed. I’ll try come in here, impress and get into another camp.”
The next camp is in March when Ireland launch their World Cup 2027 qualification campaign at home to France and away to the Netherlands.
A low-key game against Hungary, that the media will be able to see via an FAI stream, is the ideal moment to see how Brady makes the step from the University of Mississippi to Athlone to senior international football.
“Since 19s, I think I had good potential and it was thought: ‘Maybe you can make it to this level.’ But the sacrifice that comes with making it up to the senior squad is a lot. I had my sights set on it, but obviously nothing is ever guaranteed. You’ve got to stay healthy, you have to be playing well.
“Coming over to Ireland, my hope was that one day I’d be in the squad, so I was able to do well enough − thank God. I had a great year, was able to impress and draw some attention.”
