Australia and New Zealand went through an emotional roller coaster on the first day of “their” World Cup. After a rampage in the morning in Auckland, New Zealand, the opening game there threatened to be cancelled. In the evening, the “Ferns”, as the New Zealanders call themselves, celebrated an unexpected 1-0 victory over the Norwegians, who were considered to be much stronger.
Christopher Hein
Business correspondent for South Asia/Pacific based in Singapore.
With the island’s players still in tears of joy, bad news for the Australians ahead of their game against Ireland: their star striker Sam Kerr had to sit on the bench. After a training injury to her lower leg, she will also miss the next game against Nigeria. Nevertheless, the Australians managed to get through the rounds with a 1-0 lead. The “Matildas” game against Ireland was kicked off in Sydney an hour after the end of the game in New Zealand.
Shots near the Norwegian quarters
Football fans had also held their breath in the morning because a criminal had shot two people on a construction site in the New Zealand metropolis of Auckland. The assassin also died. The shots were fired 300 meters from the Norwegian team hotel. Their captain, Maren Mjeldeb, said the whole team was woken up early in the morning by the circling police helicopters. Both opening games of this World Cup began with a minute’s silence for the victims.
In Auckland, the co-hosts, ranked 26th in the world, easily kept up with the Norwegians (12th). In the end, both teams were tied in possession and shots on goal. The first goal of this World Cup was scored by a player from the Emerald Isles, who had already made a very brief appearance at MSV Duisburg in Germany: Immediately after the restart in the second half, New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson placed the ball in the top right corner of the Norwegian goal.
Although the Norwegians fought back as best they could, New Zealand almost did it again. Ria Perciva shot a penalty kick against the crossbar in the 90th minute. Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita explained her video evidence decision live over the stadium loudspeaker to the spectators. Norway defender Tuva Hansen from Bayern Munich had previously caught the ball on the arm. The Ferns’ victory was their first ever at a World Championship. On Thursday evening they cheered in the Eden Park Stadium, which was not full with a good 42,000 spectators, as if the trophy were already theirs.
huge time
A good 2,000 kilometers further west, in Sydney, there was celebration from the start: the Olympic Stadium was sold out with a good 70,000 people. After the Australians beat France, fifth in the world rankings, 1-0 in Melbourne a week ago, expectations had skyrocketed. On the pitch, their Swedish coach Tony Gustavsson deliberately kept the “Matildas” calm and calculating.
They were waiting for their chance. With long, deliberate passes, they tried to overcome the Irish. In this way, they always created great opportunities for themselves. As with the test in Melbourne, the conclusion was missing. In the penalty area, the Gold-Greens couldn’t get past the closely standing Irish team, who bit down on each attacker in twos or threes.
On the other hand, the Australians played at an enormous pace throughout the first half; the work of British sports scientist Jack Sharkey, brought in from Aston Villa by Gustavson, paid off. In addition, the much-vaunted cohesion of the Australian women’s soccer team was evident in every situation – Kerr was not above bringing her colleagues the water bottles during the warm-up.
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Five minutes after the restart, Ireland’s Marissa Sheva then fouled Australia right winger Hayley Raso in the penalty area. Arsenal’s Steph Catley then converted her first penalty effortlessly for Australia. From the 70th minute the Irish team reared up again and prevented their opponents from building up. But the Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold showed her strength with high balls after several corners. The soccer party in Oceania really got going on the first night of this World Cup.
