The Football Ferns beat Norway, 1-0, for their first triumph in six World Cup appearances.
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.
