New Zealand Women vs Norway Women. Women's World Cup Group A.
Eden ParkAttendance42,137.
Hannah Wilkinson scored the winner as New Zealand stunned Norway 1-0 in the Women's World Cup opening match; the win is the nation's first at a World Cup for either the men's or the women's team; New Zealand's Ria Percival even missed a late penalty given and explained to the crowd by VAR
Thursday 20 July 2023 21:39, UK
Co-hosts New Zealand began the Women's World Cup with an almighty shock as they beat Norway 1-0 to record the country's first win at a finals.
Neither the New Zealand men's nor the women's team had claimed a World Cup finals victory before, but Hannah Wilkinson finished off a superb team goal three minutes after half-time to seal a historic victory.
Norway, the 1995 World Cup winners, were poor on the ball with Arsenal midfielder Frida Maanum guilty of missing two big chances in either half. Late on, Tuvan Hansen was denied a late equaliser by New Zealand goalkeeper Victoria Esson, who tipped a long-range effort onto the crossbar.
New Zealand had a great chance to seal the victory when they were awarded a late penalty by VAR - with referee Yoshimi Yamashita addressing the 42,137-strong crowd via the loudspeaker about the decision under new regulations being trialled by FIFA. Ferns midfielder Ria Percival, however, struck the bar with the spot-kick
But the evening still belonged to New Zealand who, in front of a record crowd for a women's football match in their country, held firm despite 10 minutes of stoppage time to get the Women's World Cup up and running in style.
Before kick-off, both sets of players held a minute's silence at Auckland's Eden Park to reflect on the devastating incident in the city earlier in the day where two people and a gunman lost their lives.
On the pitch, New Zealand came out energised as co-hosts and created an early chance for striker Wilkinson.
The forward was played through down the right of the area but a heavy touch ruined the angle for her. Wilkinson's low cross was cleared as far as Malia Steinmetz who blazed over.
In a first half which frustrated Norway, the former World Cup champions produced just two chances of note. The first fell to Maanum, who blasted over from the edge of the area after good work down the left from Julie Blakstad.
Former Ballon D'Or winner Ada Hegerberg would be the next to be denied as she was fed in the box by Caroline Graham Hansen but a brilliant block by Rebekah Stott denied the forward a guaranteed goal.
Norway failed to improve at the start of the second half as New Zealand started it brightly and took the lead almost instantly.
A superb goal-kick routine saw Jacqueline Hand played through down the right. With the Norway defence stretched, Hand got her head up to spot Wilkinson in the box and she tapped home an easy finish.
Norway tried to respond as Hegerberg sprinted down the left and crossed for Maanum, who somehow missed from a few yards out by rolling her close-range effort wide.
Yet it was New Zealand who kept on coming as Indiah-Paige Riley's curling effort was destined for the top corner, only for Aurora Mikalsen to tip the ball over for a corner.
Percival then missed one of two chances to seal the game when she latched onto Wilkinson's lay-off from the edge of the box but the Tottenham midfielder fired wide.
Norway came within inches of an equaliser when Hansen curled an effort goalwards and struck the crossbar, via the smallest of touches by New Zealand goalkeeper Esson.
But Hansen would end up with her head in her hands a few minutes later as she was penalised for handling in the box by VAR, with referee Yamashita being called to the monitor before informing the crowd of her decision through the PA system.
Percival, however, could only strike the top of the crossbar from the penalty - perhaps the only thing that did not go New Zealand's way on opening night.
New Zealand captain Ali Riley, who was part of the Football Ferns team that registered the country's first World Cup 12 years ago, said after the game that the morning's tragic events in Auckland were on the players' minds in the game.
"The energy helped us get through it," Riley said after the game. "This morning, something really tragic happened and we wanted to bring something positive.
"We thought of the victims and first responders and we wanted to bring something amazing today."
Riley paid an emotional tribute to her team-mates and said "anything in possible" in the bid to bring women's football to the forefront of national culture.
"I can't [put it into words] - I'm so, so proud," she added. "We have been fighting for this for so long.
"We had a clear goal to inspire young girls both here and around the world. We did that tonight, anything is possible!
"I think there have been a lot of doubters but we have believed in this entire game, from the very beginning. We played with confidence and poise. The defending was incredible, the finish is what dreams are made of."
New Zealand manager Jitka Klimkova:
"I still have goosebumps. I still have emotions in me. We waited for this moment for such a long, long time and having this opportunity at home.
"Beating Norway, strong opposition, hearing our fans being behind us. That's just an unforgettable moment for me as a coach and - of course - for all the players that've been involved and all the people that are actually supporting our team. So an incredible, incredible feeling.
"I really believe this World Cup will wake up a lot of passion in football, and one of our goals and our priorities as a team [is] we want to keep inspiring.
"We want to keep inspiring with those performances like today, like tonight. And yeah, having even the win in our pocket is some bonus that came with a really good performance. And this is just the beginning."
Norway manager Hege Riise:
"It was an opening game that we want to play one more time.
"We feel like New Zealand get the momentum in the game, winning first and second ball, they had the crowd cheering, so we were caught on a little bit behind. So we didn't get any momentum in the game at all.
"We woke up this morning with helicopter and police just outside and more police coming and we didn't know what it was, but our security closed the hotel quite early. So it was for us nothing that we were scared of.
"We knew it was under control quite early and some players slept through it. Some woke up. But we had an early morning meeting with everyone just to tell them they are safe and that was it. It hasn't been any effect on how we performed in the game."
The group stage has begun and runs over a two-week period finishing on August 3. Group winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16, which takes place from August 5 to August 8.
The quarter-finals, which will be held in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney, are scheduled for August 11 and 12.
The first semi-final will then be played on August 15 in Auckland, with the other semi-final taking place on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, which will then host the final on August 20.
A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.
