Olivia Clark’s Column: Euro Play-off Preparations, Team Dynamics, and Life in the Netherlands

Details for the Uefa Women’s Euro play-off final, first leg, between Wales and the Republic of Ireland have been announced. The match is scheduled for Friday, 29 November, with a 19:15 GMT kick-off at Cardiff City Stadium. Live coverage will be available on BBC One Wales, iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, the BBC Sport website and app, and via live text commentary. Highlights will be broadcast on S4C at 22:00 GMT and subsequently on demand. In her most recent BBC Sport column, Olivia Clark addresses Wales’ forthcoming Euro 2025 play-off final encounter with the Republic of Ireland. She also reviews the semi-final win against Slovakia and provides an update on her experiences living in the Netherlands and participating in Champions League football. Clark states, “We know what the next two games mean. We know what the objective is and of course, we are all hugely excited about the prospect of trying to qualify for a first major finals.” She acknowledges the team’s understanding that “we will have to play better than we did at times in our semi-final win over Slovakia to get past tough opponents in the Republic of Ireland,” but adds that “we feel we have taken an awful lot from the semi-final.” Clark suggests that “if we had cruised through in the semi-final it wouldn’t have been as helpful in terms of our preparation for the final.” She highlights the team’s attributes, noting, “The fight we showed, the quality we showed in the second game and our mentality as well… we didn’t stop believing.” Clark describes Slovakia as “a good team – they were good at what they did and in the second game we nullified their threat, took care of the defensive side of the game and played in a very controlled way.” She expresses confidence in the team’s current state, stating, “We feel like as a squad we are in a good place.” Reflecting on the semi-final, Clark mentions, “Mentally it was draining, a long 120 minutes, I told Rhian [Wilkinson, head coach] after the game that I felt like I needed a lie-down in a dark room!” She believes “the manner of the victory over Slovakia has also helped to further build the relationship with Rhian.” Clark elaborates, “I think the way we beat Slovakia, how hard it was, how badly we played in the first game, I think it’s helped build the relationship between us as players and the manager.” She notes that despite Rhian Wilkinson, the head coach, having “only had a short amount of time to get her ideas across,” “after the first game we had a lot of honest conversations between players and between players and staff.” Clark reveals, “We had conversations we have probably not had before and come the second game, we were determined to get the job done. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but there was a confidence we had. We felt we were going to do what we needed to do.” She states, “The first game gave us a wake-up call and I feel like those conversations with Rhian were excellent, she dealt with it really well.” Clark concludes on this point, “Everyone respects her anyway, but I feel like the semi-final really strengthened that relationship between coach and players.” The team is “excited to be playing in front of what the FAW has confirmed will be a record home crowd on Friday.” Clark expresses, “It’ll be great to play in front of a record crowd. Hopefully we can smash the record and get towards 20,000 fans by Friday.” However, she emphasizes the importance of focus: “But it’s vital we play the game and not the occasion. It’s got to be one game at a time at the minute for us. We can’t approach it any other way.” Clark acknowledges, “We know we can’t afford to have a spell against Ireland like we did in the first leg in Slovakia. We have to manage the moments in the matches and we do feel it’s probably going to be quite tight.” She stresses the need for constant vigilance during the “10 days in this camp.” The significance of qualification is understood: “We all know what it would mean to qualify. It’s in the back of our minds, but that is where we have to keep it really.” Clark states, “We know Ireland are a good side, but we don’t feel intimidated by that. We just have to concentrate on playing the best we can.” She points out, “We have shown in the Nations League and we are showing for our clubs that we can perform well in big games.” Personally, Clark feels “in a better place now… in terms of my preparation for a game like this.” She notes the challenge of not playing for one’s club but adds, “I’ve been playing – and playing in the Champions League is a big stage – so hopefully it’s good preparation.” Regardless of the first game’s outcome, Clark affirms, “we will still feel we’ve got a chance heading to Dublin, but of course, we’d love a lead if we can manage it.” The team’s aim for the initial match is “to play with an element of control… and try to make Cardiff a difficult place for Ireland to come and play.” Regarding her life in the Netherlands, Clark feels “more settled now in my first season with FC Twente and I’m learning Dutch. I’ve got a tutor. I feel like it will be helpful for me with integrating with the girls, but it’s difficult, I can’t lie.” She admits, “I am not very good with languages, I have so much admiration for multilingual people, my Cymraeg-speaking team-mates, the Dutch girls who can just switch to perfect English, I have so much respect for it.” Clark notes, “I did German in school and I hoped Dutch would be similar, but it isn’t.” Despite language challenges, “life with my club is good. I feel more settled now, my parents have been over to visit a few times as well.” She observes, “It definitely gets easier living away. It is starting to feel a lot more like home.” Clark describes playing Real Madrid in the Champions League as “an amazing experience.” She acknowledges that “Losing in Madrid in the way we did (7-0) wasn’t ideal, but the scoreline wasn’t reflective of the game as a whole. We conceded five goals from set-pieces. That was tough to take.” She adds, “We took a lot from the game and the second performance (3-2 to Madrid) was a lot more like us and a great game to be part of.” Clark mentions that “Cycling is a big part of life in the Netherlands, but I get scared sometimes! The cycle lanes are busier than the roads. It’s also freezing at the moment and my hands get very cold, so I need to invest in some gloves.” She humorously adds, “Which admittedly, you don’t expect to necessarily hear from a goalkeeper.”