Sellersville native Marissa Sheva is excited to show the coach of the Ireland women’s national soccer team what she can do on the pitch in a friendly match against China next week, writes Aidan Fitzmaurice for the Irish Independent. 

Unlike some other players who only “discovered” their Irish connection after the green team qualified for the World Cup finals last year, Sheva has been trying to find her place on the squad for much longer. 

Her roots in Ireland lead back to her grandparents. Her bid to get a passport began two years ago. 

“My grandfather was really insistent on making sure that I had my citizenship,” said Sheva, a Pennridge High School and Penn State graduate.

The attacker reached out last summer to Vera Pauw, coach of Ireland’s national team, to see what the squad was looking for and to see if she could get into training camp. 

“My focus at the moment is just to assist in any way, whether that’s just being a strong competitor to help the team prepare for the World Cup or whether that is fighting for a spot,” said Sheva. 

Read more about Marissa Sheva in the Irish Independent. 

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