A warm-up match between Ireland and Colombia ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup was called off on Friday after the Irish decided to walk off the pitch, the Colombian Football Federation said. According to The Irish Times, quoting the Irish Federation, they withdrew because of the “too physical” game practiced by the South Americans. Disputed behind closed doors in Brisbane, the meeting was interrupted “because the Irish national team (…) chose not to continue playing after 23 minutes of play in the first half”, specified the Federation Colombian soccer player in a statement.
Moments before the interruption, Irish midfielder Denise O’Sullivan suffered a shin injury from a dangerous tackle by a Colombian player, The Irish Times reported. She was evacuated to a hospital in Brisbane. “The match, which took place at Meakin Park, Brisbane, became too physical and it was decided, after consultation with the match officials, to end the game,” said the Irish Federation, quoted by The Irish Times. A decision “respected” by the Colombian Federation “although all the training of our national teams is framed by the rules of the game, healthy competition and fair play”. The Irish will begin their World Cup against Australia on July 20. The Colombians will take on South Korea on July 25.
