Hosts New Zealand and Australia both get off to flying starts in the Women’s World Cup with 1-0 victories...
NEW ZEALAND 1-0 NORWAY
Big upset as co-hosts NZ open with a historic victory over Norway
Embed from Getty ImagesEarning their first ever World Cup win, for both the women and men’s national side, New Zealand battled hard and started the tournament on the front foot. They put their past demons to bed in front of a home crowd of over 42,000 fans defying all odds to beat Norway 1-0 and create history.
New Zealand’s domination throughout the game, calm in possession and constantly posing a threat down the wings, was rewarded with a beautifully crafted goal that started from the back and was tucked away by Hannah Wilkinson following Jacqueline Hand’s pinpoint cross just after half time. Wilkinson remained a menace throughout her shift, holding the ball up well to relieve pressure of her team at vital moments. The Ferns were unlucky not to double their lead as Ria Percival’s penalty hit the crossbar in the 90th minute, setting up a nervy finish.
Norway came close towards the end of the game as goalkeeper Victoria Esson tipped Tuvan Hansen’s long range effort onto the crossbar alongside two big missed chances from Arsenal midfielder Frida Maanum in either half. Nevertheless, Head coach Riise will have to hold a major inquest into why Norway were so outclassed by opponents ranked far below them.
As the full time whistle blew wild celebrations around the stadium erupted as the players ran onto the field and the crowd exploded with joy.
In her post match press conference, head coach of the Ferns Jitka Klimkova, exclaimed that she “still has goosebumps” and went on to call the match “unforgettable”, a tribute to a phenomenal home crowd who pushed the team over the line at crucial stages.
A tearful New Zealand Captain, Ali Riley spoke after the game: “I’m so, so proud. We’ve been fighting for this for so long. We had a clear goal that we wanted to inspire young girls here and around the world, and I think we did that this evening.”
One can say this is only the beginning of an incredible world cup to come.
AUSTRALIA 1-0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
The Matildas prove triumphant despite missing talisman Sam Kerr
Embed from Getty ImagesCo-hosts Australia also kicked off their World Cup campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland as Steph Catley’s penalty proved the difference between the two teams.
Without star striker Sam Kerr who is likely to be out for at least the first two opening games, her absence was palpable as the Matildas lacked a cutting edge during a scoreless opening half. Although Mary Fowler was elevated to the starting XI today and looked very lively in the final third, she lacked that clinical finish which Kerr brings to the team.
Stand-in Captain Catley spoke openly about the loss of Kerr calling it “heartbreak” with Australia losing their “spiritual leader”
The contest became feisty very early on with strong tackles going in from either side, none more than Irish Captain Katie McCabe who herself missed a huge chance in the closing moments of the game. In already creating history by qualifying for their first ever World Cup, the Girls in Green frustrated Australia in the first half continuously crowding out the Aussie’s attackers and were only at fault for a clumsy challenge in the penalty area by Marissa Sheva in the early stages of the second half.
Captain Steph Catley calmly slotted the ball into the top right corner from 12 yards out, in a below par performance from the Matildas.
The end of the game saw a nervy finish for the Aussies with the Girls in Green having a plentiful amount of set pieces and chances, leading to some heart-in-mouth moments for the Australian backline, none more than Louise Quinn’s header which whistled a whisker wide of the far post in the dying seconds.
However, the Matildas were able to bank the three points and earn an opening game win at the World Cup for only the second time in their history and after the game, Steph Catley stated: “It’s hard to put into words to be honest,” what the victory means for them.
Although there is of course room for improvement from Ireland, losing by only one goal is sure to be a positive to take into their next game against Canada and manager Vera Pauw expressed: “We are a team that’s battling. I’m really proud of their first time on this stage.” Irish Captain Katie McCable added: “I think the second half shows a better account of ourselves and we’ll look to bring those positives into the second game against Canada”.
