In the opening game of the 2023 Women's World Cup, co-hosts New Zealand produced one of the all time World Cup shocks, beating Norway 1-0 at Eden Park thanks to Hannah Wilkinson's goal.
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Sixth time lucky for New Zealand
Although they qualified for this tournament as co-hosts, 2023 is the sixth time the Football Ferns have qualified for the top international tournament. There record however, leaves a lot to be desired.
Before kickoff today, New Zealand have played a total of 15 games at World Cups since qualifying for their first tournament back in 1991, they have never won a game, never got out of the group stages, scored eight goals, conceded 34... yeah, it didn't look great on paper for the 2023 co-hosts.
When Hannah Wilkinson swept home in the 48th minute from Jacqui Hand's cross, you could feel the emotion outpouring in Aukland, history was being made in front of the fan's very eyes. The very first win for a New Zealand side, mens or women's at a World Cup. In-front of a record attendance for a match in NZ, everything was going the Kiwis way!
Whilst they weren't expected to get anything in a game which Norway where heavy favourites going into it, they certainly didn't disgrace themselves in the opener pulling off one of the all time shocks. They have given themselves the greatest chance to progress out of a group stage in a World Cup for the very first time, and with the backing of the home crowd behind them, this could really make anything possible for the Football Ferns.
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Norway freeze on opening day
Heading into the game in Aukland, the 1995 champions were heavily fancied to gain victory against the co-hosts, however it was the Ferns who produced one of the great World Cup shocks, against a fairly tame Norway side.
With players like Ada Hegerberg, Guro Reiten and Frida Maanum in the squad, on paper, Norway should've had no issues against NZ, however thanks to a dogged Football Ferns display, their superstars found the going much tougher than they'd have expected.
This was sort of encapsulated when around ten minutes after New Zealand took the lead, the ball fell to Arsenal's Maanum in the six yard box with the goal at her mercy, she shanked the effort wide which was so unlike her usually composed self, which rather summed up Norway's day.
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Rebekah Stott's fairytale opener
Normally, reaching 90 caps for your country is a stunning achievement in any regard, now imagine reaching 90 caps for your country, in a historic win at the World Cup in the first game, sounds incredible, right? Add into that two years ago, you were diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, well Rebekah Stott is currently living her dream, when it could've all been so different.
The then Brighton and Hove Albion player was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma in March of 2021 that cut her time in England short, having announced she wanted to recover in time for this tournament, Stott documented her journey on a second instagram account and by July of that same year, she announced that she was in remission.
Fast forward two years, she was withdrawn to a standing ovation in the 70th minute of their historic opening win at Eden Park, if anyone of a New Zealand persuasion didn't have a tear in their eye, well you could comfortably assume they were lying.
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Opening game sets the tone
A raucous atmosphere, a VAR decision, a missed penalty, ten minutes of added time, pure emotion, it all happened at Eden Park.
Spurs' Ria Percival, who had battled back from a horrific ACL injury could've added the icing on the top of the cake, but her added time penalty crashed back off the bar, when an inch or two lower, it would've been the perfect ending to the perfect game.
Having had the news of the shooting in Aukland to contend with in the early hours of local time, you have a feeling that ramped up the atmosphere and the togetherness in the stadium for everyone associated with New Zealand. The outpouring of emotion at the final whistle would have brought goosebumps to even the neutral.
New Zealand captain, Ali Riley said on BBC after the game, "We heard the news of what happened this morning, we wanted to bring them something to cheer this evening, the victims, the first responders, and we did that tonight."
On the footballing side, with Philipines and Switzerland, to come New Zealand have given themselves the best chance to progress out of a group stage for the very first time, for their opponents, Hege Riise will have a lot of thinking to do if Norway are to live up to the pre tournament hype.
