Upset for the ages! Football Ferns open World Cup with win

By Michael Burgess

This wasn’t just a football match, this was an awakening.

This wasn’t just a win, this was a stone cold upset for the ages.

In decades to come, this will be remembered as the night the New Zealand fell in love with women’s football, after one of the most extraordinary matches in our sporting history.

You will never see this again. You could never dream to see this again.

Rated $12.00 outsiders at the TAB, the Football Ferns stunned Norway 1-0, in a fairytale opening to the Fifa Women’s World Cup.

The game had everything, from a missed penalty, an avalanche of chances, to indescribable late tension as the Ferns hung on.

A 47th minute Hannah Wilkinson goal was the difference, giving the Ferns their first Cup win in 16 attempts.

It was an extraordinary performance, of skill and desire and energy and poise and an occasion that no one in the 42,137 crowd will ever forget.

And the Ferns were great value for the result, completely dominating the European side, aside from the last 15 minutes.

There were heroes across the park, though central defenders Katie Bowen and Rebekah Stott were simply outstanding, while Ria Percival had a game for the ages.

Given what the team had showed in the previous 18 months, no one quite knew what to expect. But no one expected this.

The Ferns quickly settled into their rhythm, defying all predictions. They had a great chance as early as the 5th minute, when Wilkinson was released by Ria Percival, but her touch was too heavy, otherwise she could have been in on goal.

But that was a sign of things to come. New Zealand were sharp, first to every ball and finding spaces on the massive Eden Park pitch.

They were winning balls in midfield, while CJ Bott was a terrier on the right flank. Their confidence was shown by the willingness to play triangles out of trouble.

Indiah-Paige Riley looked dangerous on the right – with some dangerous crosses – while Jacqui Hand’s was threatening. There were corners and free kicks – though the delivery wasn’t quite there on a windy night, though no one anticipated Wilkinson’s header back across goal for their best chance.

Norway – a team chock full of talent from the best European clubs – were limited to counter attacks. There weren’t many, though they had two clear cut chances in the first half. Frida Maanum blazed over from 12 yards, after a cross fell at her feet, while the second was a brilliant piece of defending, as Stott got across superbly to block from Ada Hegerberg, after a long run from Caroline Hansen.

The half ended as it began, with a Wilkinson shot blocked, as she threatened to break away.

But there was a discernible buzz in the air, along with a fear that the Ferns needed something to show for all their pressure.

And then, in the 47th minute, came the moment that will never be forgotten. And it was a beautiful move. Bott’s first time pass found Indiah-Paige Riley, who released Hand with a peach of a ball. Hand – playing in her first World Cup match – tore into the penalty area, then picked out Wilkinson who finished unerringly from six metres.

The crowd went ballistic, while the entire Ferns bench ran to celebrate. There could have been more – as Indiah-Paige Riley’s shot looked headed for the top corner, before a brilliant save from keeper Aurora Mikalsen. Norway were rattled, though Maanum should have done better from close range, after a neat move, then Percival went close after being found by a Wilkinson pull back. A brilliant Vic Esson save – as she tipped it on the crossbar – preserved the lead late on – as the Ferns started to tire.

But there was a late twist, as the New Zealand were awarded a penalty, after a VAR check. It felt huge, but Percival, who was one of the best on the night, found the crossbar as she tried to place it.

The groans of the crowd were accentuated when the announcement of nine minutes of injury time, though the Ferns hung on for a famous result, as Norway had more and more pressure in the penalty area.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission