Hockey World Cup: Ireland out to recapture 2018 magic in Amsterdam

Katie Mullan will lead Ireland in Amsterdam having captained them to a stunning silver medal in London four years ago

The Ireland women's hockey team jetted off to Amsterdam this week with little fanfare.

Their historic exploits during the summer of 2018 saw thousands of people hop on the bandwagon and join them on that improbable journey to the World Cup final.

For a while they became household names and that success carried on with a dramatic Olympic qualification in front of record crowds for an Irish women's sporting team. They were Tokyo bound.

They did eventually get to the Japanese capital, a year later than planned, as hockey like many sports suffered through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hockey die-hards will never forget what happened four years ago but maybe the casual sports fan now needs a gentle reminder. It is against this backdrop that a new look squad will take on the world's best over the next two weeks.

Only five silver medallists return - captain Katie Mullan, vice-captain Roisin Upton, goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, Lena Tice and Deirdre Duke.

The squad has lost over 1,800 international caps in experience but those that have joined bring enthusiasm and a fresh approach.

"We have a really nice mix in this group and we have both World Cup and Olympic experience so in many ways we are better off than we were four years ago," said captain Mullan.

"Then we have the youth and excitement of our uncapped players and I'm so excited for the rest of the world to see what they can do on the hockey pitch."

The delayed Olympics may have perversely benefited some of the Irish squad, with Hannah McLoughlin, Michelle Carey, Zara Malseed and Sarah McAuley now able to lean upon the experience of a major tournament that they would likely not have had if the Games had taken place in 2020.

Katie McKee, Charlotte Beggs, Caoimhe Perdue, Siofra O'Brien and Christina Hamill are the uncapped players now faced with the tantalising prospect of making their international debuts at a World Cup.

"We're trying to share with them the expectation of what a World Cup looks like and what tournament hockey is all about," Mullan continued.

The Netherlands are out to claim their third straight World Cup

"It's a rollercoaster ride at times with highs and lows and you have to process it all and move on because the next game is right around the corner."

The opening game could scarcely present a bigger challenge, with the all-conquering Netherlands - reigning Olympic, world and European champions - awaiting Ireland on Saturday.

The 10,000 Wagener Stadium is sold out as the hosts and tournament favourites begin their quest for a third-straight World Cup against the side they hammered in the final four years ago.

It is a baptism of fire for the young Green Army, but in reality Saturday's game is not likely to be their most significant as Ireland seek to claim a top three finish in Pool A that would at least secure a quarter-final play-off.

Tuesday's meeting with Chile is seen as a must win, while Sean Dancer's side will also hope to challenge Germany in their final group game.

Given what they achieved four years ago, a quarter-final appearance might now be considered a minimum expectation - but the rankings suggest Ireland face an uphill battle to reach the latter stages of the tournament.

Ireland's last eight warm-up matches have been played against Japan

They go into the World Cup as the 12th ranked team, with many of the nations above them playing in the FIH Pro League having had competitive hockey for the past three months leading into the tournament, while Irish preparations have centred around eight consecutive warm-up games against Japan.

"Our goal has to be to get out of the group and we know better than anyone once you get out of the group it's knockout hockey and on any given day anything can happen. That's where we want to be and then see how far we can progress," says Mullan.

The squad have an important European Championship qualifier coming up in August and the new Nations Cup tournament in December in which they could gain promotion to the Pro League, before 2023 arrives when qualifying for the next Olympics in Paris will quickly be upon them.

There is a bigger picture ahead for this young squad, and there is an emphasis being placed on the priceless experience that will be gained in the next two weeks regardless of results. There are not many at this stage predicting Ireland to reach the final.

That being said, expectations and predictions weren't high four years ago.