Carol Breen Explained

Carol Breen
Birth Date:21 January 1986
Birth Place:Waterford, Republic of Ireland
Position:Defender
Years1:?–?
Clubs1:Benfica
Caps1:?
Goals1:?
Years2:2014
Clubs2:Benfica
Caps2:?
Goals2:?
Years3:2014–2016
Clubs3:Wexford Youths
Caps3:?
Goals3:?
Nationalyears1:? – ?
Nationalteam1:Republic of Ireland U17
Nationalcaps1:?
Nationalgoals1:?
Nationalyears2:2004–2005
Nationalteam2:Republic of Ireland U19
Nationalcaps2:?
Nationalgoals2:?
Nationalyears3:2015 – ?
Nationalteam3:Republic of Ireland
Nationalcaps3:2+
Nationalgoals3:?

Carol Breen (born 21 January 1986) is an Irish Australian rules footballer and former association footballer, who has played for the Republic of Ireland women's national football team and the Ireland national Australian rules football team. At club Australian rules football level, she most recently played for Randwick City Saints, and at club association football level, Breen last played for Wexford Youths.

Association football career

Breen played as a defender. Breen represented Republic of Ireland under-17s in the football event at the 2003 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival.[1] She played for the Republic of Ireland under-19s from 2004 to 2005,[2] and was in the squad for UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying matches.[3] [4] At the time, she was playing for Benfica.[3]

Breen later quit association football, and went backpacking in Australia. Whilst there she played Australian rules football and Gaelic football.[5] She later lived in Canada, before returning to Ireland in 2014. She re-signed for local association football club Benfica in Waterford.[5] Breen signed for Wexford Youths for the 2014–15 Women's National League season.[5]

In March 2015, Breen made her debut for the Republic of Ireland women's national football team in the 2015 Istria Cup, and also played in Ireland's match against Austria at the same tournament.[5] She had previously been called up to the squad for a winter training camp in La Manga.[5] In 2015, she played for Wexford Youths in the UEFA Women's Champions League; she scored four goals in a qualifying group stage match against Cardiff Met.[6] [7] She was also part of the Wexford Youths team that won the 2015 FAI Women's Cup, the first time that Wexford Youths had won the tournament.[8] She was named in the Women's National League Team of the Season for the 2014–15 season.[9]

In January 2016, Breen was not selected in the Ireland squad for matches against the United States, as she was preparing to emigrate to Australia.[10] Breen returned to Australia later that year.[4]

Australian rules career

Years1:2016–2017
Club1:UTS Shamrocks
Games Goals1:? (?)
Years2:2018
Club2:Nor-West Jets
Games Goals2:14 (11)
Years3:2019
Club3:UTS Australian Football Club
Games Goals3:14 (2)
Years4:2020
Club4:Randwick City Saints
Games Goals4:10 (11)
Nationalyears1:? – ?
Nationalteam1:Ireland
Nationalgames Goals1:? (?)

Breen played for UTS Shamrocks, and in 2016, she won the AFL Sydney Women's Division One Best and Fairest award.[11] In 2018, she made 11 appearances for the Nor-West Jets,[12] and she made 14 appearances for UTS Australian Football Club in 2019.[12] In 2020, Breen made 10 appearances for Randwick City Saints.[12]

Breen was part of the Ireland national Australian rules football team that won the 2017 Australian Football International Cup. She won the "best on ground" award in the final.[13]

Notes and References

  1. News: King names girls squad for Youth Olympics. Irish Examiner. 22 July 2003. 24 February 2021.
  2. Web site: Carol Breen. Football Association of Ireland. 24 February 2021. 23 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160723041559/https://www.fai.ie/ireland/player/73509. live.
  3. News: Women's under 19 squad announced. RTÉ.ie. 15 April 2004. 3 March 2021.
  4. Web site: Roll of Honour: Confirmed Ireland Women's National Team Players. Women's Soccer Archive. 25 February 2021. 1 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101003250/https://www.womenssoccerarchive.ie/p/a-z.html. live.
  5. News: Breen's first senior cap. Irish Independent. 10 March 2015. 24 February 2021.
  6. News: Carol Breen hits four as Wexford exit Europe on a high. RTÉ.ie. 16 August 2015. 24 February 2021. 18 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191118141145/https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2015/0816/721638-wexford-youths-exit-europe-on-a-high/. live.
  7. News: The Dream May Be Over But Wexford Youths Can Hold Their Heads High. Her.ie. 15 August 2015. 24 February 2021.
  8. News: Wexford win first ever FAI Women's Cup final on penalties. The Irish Times. 8 November 2015. 24 February 2021. 20 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220124113/http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/wexford-win-first-ever-fai-women-s-cup-final-on-penalties-1.2421919. live.
  9. News: A Big Occasion For UCD Waves And Wexford Youths As Women's National League Award Recipients Announced. Her.ie. 1 March 2017. 24 February 2021. 29 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181129100222/https://www.her.ie/life/a-big-occasion-for-ucd-waves-and-wexford-youths-as-womens-national-league-award-recipients-announced-229611. live.
  10. News: Ireland squad announced for American games. News Talk. 13 January 2016. 3 March 2021.
  11. Web site: 2016 James Medal. Sports STG. 13 September 2016. 24 February 2021.
  12. Web site: Carol Breen Season Statistics. AFL Sydney. 24 February 2021.
  13. News: Ireland women's Australian Rules Football team celebrating after claiming AFL International Cup. Belfast Live. 23 August 2017. 24 February 2021.