AUCKLAND, New Zealand — On a day that started with tragedy, the Football Ferns triumphed.
Hannah Wilkinson scored to open the second half and New Zealand went on to upset Norway 1-0 on Thursday for its first-ever win at the Women’s World Cup, hours after a shooting in downtown Auckland shocked the host nation.
A gunman stormed a high-rise construction site near Norway’s team hotel and opened fire, killing two people. The gunman was found dead after a police shootout.
There was increased security at Eden Park stadium, where 42,137 – a record crowd for a soccer match in New Zealand – were on hand to cheer on the home team, co-hosts of the tournament with Australia. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was among those at the game. He went into the locker room after the game and thanked the team for an inspirational performance.
After an opening ceremony that honored New Zealand’s Indigenous heritage, there was a moment of silence for the victims of the shooting. Five people were wounded in the attack, including a police officer.
New Zealand’s Football Ferns had played in five previous World Cups, but hadn’t won a match.
“We really wanted to inspire young girls across the nation and I think we did that tonight. We showed that anything is possible,” said captain Ali Riley, who had happy tears in her eyes.
Wilkinson scored in the opening moments of the second half. Jaqui Hand moved up the right side and placed a perfect cross at Wilkinson’s feet. While the home crowd wildly celebrated, Norway goalkeeper Aurora Mikalson stood with her hands on her hips.
Tuva Hansen nearly tied it for Norway in the 83rd minute, but her shot caromed off the crossbar. The Ferns had a chance to double their lead in the 89th after video review awarded them a penalty because of a hand ball, but Ria Percival’s attempt hit the crossbar.
Stoppage time stretched for more than 10 minutes before the whistle blew and New Zealand’s reserves rushed the field in celebration. Riley pounded her chest for the electrified fans.
“It’s really hard to put into words, but absolutely surreal,” Ferns defender Katie Bowen said. “I mean, we made history tonight, but we can’t rest on that. Our goal is to get out of the group.”
AUSTRALIA 1, IRELAND 0: Rocked by the late withdrawal of Sam Kerr because of an injury, Australia needed time to settle before getting off to a winning start against Ireland in Sydney.
Steph Catley swept home a 52nd-minute penalty to end Ireland’s resistance and spark an eruption of joy from fans inside Stadium Australia.
There was also no shortage of relief from the majority of the 75,784-strong crowd after the tournament co-hosts struggled to cope without the country’s all-time leading scorer. Kerr will also miss the second game of Group B against Nigeria because of a calf injury.
After the final whistle, Kerr was on the field, arm-in-arm with her teammates as they gathered in celebration after being pushed to the limit by Ireland.
The crowd only learned of Kerr’s injury about an hour before kick off. The Chelsea striker sustained the injury in practice on Wednesday, and it is not certain she will be back to face Canada in the team’s last Group B game in Melbourne on July 31.
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