And with that, I’ll try to catch my breathe (it’s going to be hard, with the Matildas about to kick off their tournament in Sydney minus Sam Kerr). But what an opening match this one was – a classic that will be remember in New Zealand for many a year to come.
Thanks for joining me and Jo. Time to turn your attention to Jonathan Howcroft’s minute-by-minute account of the game in Sydney, here:
And stay tuned for our match report from Eden Park, which will land once Jeff Kassouf has had time to take in all the drama. Bye from me!
Incredible scenes in Auckland. What a result. Not many would have picked that one before this evening, but there you go. Football, bloody hell. New Zealand were good for their win – they fended off Norwegian attacks in the first half before enjoying the better of the second and delivering a knock-out blow through Hannah Wilkinson. Her name will now deservedly enter Eden Park folklore.
For Norway, it couldn’t be a worse start. They were disjointed and didn’t know how to deal with the Ferns’ second half display. Perhaps they will count themselves unlucky that Hansen’s effort struck the bar and didn’t nestle in the roof of the net, but they also benefitted from a slice of good fortune, with Percival missing a chance to seal victory from the penalty spot.
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