‘That’s a dream’: World Cup drama explodes as Kiwi boilover stuns world

There were crazy scenes in the World Cup opener with 40,000 people losing their minds over a moment dreams are made of.

Hannah Wilkinson prompted scenes of absolute chaos at Eden Park on Thursday night with New Zealand stunning Norway in the World Cup opener.

The veteran forward’s silky second half goal saw New Zealand record a historic 1-0 victory — the nation’s first victory at the Women’s World Cup. They did it in front of more than 42,000 fans in Auckland, the biggest crowd in New Zealand football history.

New Zealand went ahead in the 48th minute after a clinical passage of ball movement that ended with Wilkinson tapping in from a perfectly-timed cross.

Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis told the BBC: “That was sensational. The best team in the world would be thrilled with that. One touch finish. That is dream world football from New Zealand”.

Hannah Wilkinson finished off a silky passage of play. Picture: Saeed KHAN / AFP.

Eden Park went berserk. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images.

Hannah Wilkinson has now scored at three World Cups. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images.

Hannah Wilkinson ran straight to her teammates. Picture: Saeed KHAN / AFP.

It capped a day which started when New Zealand’s largest city was shaken in the morning by a shooting which left two victims and the gunman dead.

The incident happened in a downtown area close to where several World Cup teams, including Norway, are staying.

The country’s prime minister, Chris Hipkins, attended the match alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino at Eden Park, where a moment’s silence was held in memory of those killed.

The Football Ferns, who are co-hosting the first 32-team Women’s World Cup along with Australia, were not overawed by the occasion as they went on to claim a deserved success thanks to Wilkinson’s early second-half goal.

New Zealand had not won any of their 15 previous matches across five previous appearances at the tournament and had set ending that dreadful record as their modest objective this time.

They duly did so against the former World Cup winners, to the delight of a near sell-out crowd of 42,137 fans, a national record for any football match in the country, men’s or women’s.

Their margin of victory on a cold, wet and windy evening would even have been greater had Ria Percival not missed a late penalty.

Qualifying for the knockout stages from Group A may now be a realistic aim, with Switzerland and minnows the Philippines their other opponents.

Meanwhile Norway, whose squad were woken early by a helicopter and emergency vehicles responding to the shooting just metres away from their hotel, were disappointing.

Wearing all black at the home of the country’s all-conquering rugby union team, New Zealand had been the better side in the first half without creating anything to seriously trouble Norway goalkeeper Aurora Mikalsen.

We have lift-off at the #FIFAWWC! 🙌

Hannah Wilkinson scores the opening goal for co-hosts New Zealand! 🇳🇿⚽#BBCWorldCup#FIFAWWCpic.twitter.com/MJ5r2coFX4

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 20, 2023

The breakthrough came three minutes after the restart as Jacqui Hand’s low ball into the box from the right was swept into the net by Wilkinson, the striker based in Australia.

The game opened up as Norway, world champions in 1995, went looking for an equaliser, and Frida Maanum somehow missed the target from a promising position.

Indiah-Paige Riley had a fine effort turned over at the other end, while Norway’s former Ballon d’Or-winning forward Ada Hegerberg remained subdued.

Tuva Hansen came closest to equalising with a long-range strike that was tipped onto the bar by New Zealand goalkeeper Victoria Esson.

And it was Hansen’s handball that was then penalised following a VAR check late on, but Percival hit the bar from the resulting 90th-minute penalty.

The pre-match entertainment before the tournament opener included live a performance from Aussie act Mallrat and Kiwi alt-pop singer BENEE as they performed the official song for the event, “Do It Again”.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra and members of the All Blacks were also involved.

The colourful scenes received a mixed reaction from fans watching around the world.

BENEE’s performance didn’t impress everyone, while some of the cultural displays wowed Kiwi viewers.

Performers dance during the opening ceremony. Picture: Buda Mendes/Getty Images

BENEE and Mallrat perform on stage. Picture: Buda Mendes/Getty Images .

Tjarutja Dance Theatre Collective take part in the opening ceremony. Picture: Saeed KHAN / AFP.

Members of the Tjarutja Dance Theatre Collective take part in the opening ceremony. Picture: Saeed KHAN / AFP.

Dancers perform during the opening ceremony. Picture: Buda Mendes/Getty Images.

New Zealand singer and songwriter Benee performs. Picture: Saeed KHAN / AFP.

The New Zealand Herald’s Bonnie Johnson wrote on Twitter: “So proud of NZ today! So proud to be a Kiwi”.

New Zealand sports journalist Ed Jackson posted: “Well that was okay… I mean who needs opening ceremonies really anyway for a football tournament? Not sure about Benee and friend’s bad lip-synching though.”

Three people are dead and six injured after a gunman armed with a pump-action shotgun went on a shooting spree before dying in a standoff with police at a construction site.

It was a crazy day in Auckland with the pre-match atmosphere unlike anything previously seen for a football match. The previous record home crowd for a Ferns match was 13,000.

The situation has caused traffic chaos and the Ferns were bizarrely caught up in the mess and were more than 20 minutes late from their scheduled time to arrive at the stadium.

The New Zealand Herald reported the team was stuck in traffic because the team bus did not have a police escort which they’ve had at every other World Cup.

It is the first Women’s World Cup to feature 32 teams.

— with AFP