Denise O'Sullivan could play five play-off matches in a single month after returning from injury to score in Ireland's 4-0 win over Kazakhstan at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on 13 October. The Cork midfielder now faces an NWSL title push with Gotham FC and a two-legged World Cup play-off final against Poland, with the second leg set for the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 5 December.
According to RTE.ie, the 32-year-old was rested for the first-leg semi-final hammering of Kazakhstan in Astana after struggling with a knee injury in recent months, but she came straight back into the side in Cork and found the net in front of a crowd she described as deafening from the first minute.
A homecoming that meant something
O'Sullivan's route back to this point was anything but straightforward. She left Liverpool last July after barely six months on Merseyside, admitting she could not settle in England after so many years in the United States with North Carolina Courage. She joined New York-based Gotham FC, who secured their NWSL play-off spot a few weeks ago with a 2-1 win over her old club, the Courage.
Now the quarter-finals, semis and final of the NWSL play-offs all land in November, and the World Cup play-off final with Poland follows immediately after. It is a fixture pile-up few players would envy, but O'Sullivan would not have it any other way.
That the Republic of Ireland are two games from a World Cup in Brazil is not lost on her.
“Go in, win those play-offs, and then come in for Ireland, and get to Brazil. That's the only thing on my mind, so I'm excited.”
She told RTE.ie that pulling on the green jersey in Cork carries an extra weight. The noise rose every time she touched the ball at the Páirc, and when she scored, you could have heard the cheer in Knocknaheeny.
“There was 10,000 there tonight, but it seemed like so much more because they were so loud from the first minute to 90 minutes. We really appreciate it, and we absolutely love playing here. You could hear how proud they were.”
Exorcising the ghosts of 2024
Two years ago Ireland breezed past Georgia in the Euro 2025 play-off semi-final, only to be turned over by Wales in the final. RTE.ie reports that the setback took the squad a long time to absorb, and the memory of it still shapes how this group approaches the Poland tie.
Ireland will travel to Gdansk before welcoming Ewa Pajor and her teammates to Dublin for the return leg. O'Sullivan knows the threat Poland carry, having faced them in two tight World Cup qualification games last April.
“They're an excellent team, a very strong team, with a world-class striker in Pajor. You can't switch off because she can come up with a goal at any minute. But I think we have a wealth of experience in these games over the past few years. We're more experienced going into these games, and we'll be ready for it.”
On the Kazakhstan tie itself, she pointed to a discipline that may matter even more against stronger opposition.
“I think we had to be really professional. There were no yellow cards, I thought that was a big thing for us to be professional and not get frustrated. The girls were absolutely excellent.”
Nolan's night to remember
While O'Sullivan's return grabbed the headlines, the Cork win carried a quieter significance for Crystal Palace defender Hayley Nolan. The 29-year-old from Kildare made a rare start and turned in a composed performance at the back, in what she revealed was her first senior start on home soil.
Her six previous caps all came away from home, and with her family in the stands, the moment clearly landed hard.
“I was absolutely delighted. My whole family is here. They've been coming to all the games and for them to see me out there today is huge. I'm hugely proud and honoured to wear the shirt.”
Nolan will hope to be involved against Poland in some capacity, and she echoed the belief running through the camp.
“We hold really high standards for each other. We want to go to a World Cup. It's a great culture and we push each other.”
What happens next
The NWSL play-offs begin in November, with Gotham FC needing three wins to take the title. Ireland then meet Poland away in Gdansk before the decisive second leg at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 5 December, with a place at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil on the line.
For a squad that has carried the disappointment of the Wales defeat for two years, the winter ahead offers a chance to close the loop. For O'Sullivan, who has crossed the Atlantic twice in twelve months to find her way back to this point, it could be the month that defines her career.
Frequently asked questions
How many play-off matches could Denise O'Sullivan play this winter?
Up to five: three NWSL play-off ties with Gotham FC in November, plus the two-legged World Cup play-off final between the Republic of Ireland and Poland.
When do Ireland play Poland?
Ireland travel to Gdansk for the first leg, then host Poland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 5 December, with a World Cup place at stake.
Who is Poland's main threat?
Striker Ewa Pajor, whom O'Sullivan described as a world-class forward capable of scoring at any moment. Ireland drew Poland in two close qualification games last April.
