IFFHS DAILY NEWS - FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023 - DAY 1
Picture : Stephanie Catley scored a perfect penalty for Australia's 1-0 opening game !
IFFHS DAILY NEWS – FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2023
64 games in the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Day by day, the IFFHS will report about all the games with facts and stats.
DAY 1
1 – NEW ZEALAND – NORWAY 1-0 (GROUP A)
Eden Park Stadium Auckland (New Zealand). 42 137 spectators. Half time : 0-0 . Referee : Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan). Goal : Hannah Wilkinson (48e) for New Zealand.
FACTS AND STATS
- New Zealand entered in History ! It was the first win in the 16 games in 6 World Cups ! And at home in the famous Eden Park in Auckland, the All Blacks stadium !
- Hannah Wilkinson, with her 29th goal in 116 caps, scored the winning historical goal for New Zealand.
- The crowd in Auckland (42 137 spectators) is the Record in New Zealand. The highest attendance never seen !
- The only game in World Cup between New Zealand and Norway was played in 1991. 4-0 for Norway, the first goal was scored by Hege Riise, who is today Norway’s Head coach.
- In March 2021, Rebekah Stott was diagnosed Hodgkin’s Lymphona. Two years later, she started the World Cup with a brilliant performance with New Zealand !
- Maren Mjelde (166 caps) for Norway and Ria Persival (164 caps) for New Zealand were the most capped on the field, just before Captain Ali Riley (155 caps), the Globe trotter player (Chelsea, Bayern, Rosengard, Orlando Pride, Angel City…).
2 – AUSTRALIA – IRELAND 1-0 (GROUP B)
Stadium Australia, Sydney (Australia). 75 784 spectators. Half time : 0-0. Referee : Edina Alves Batista (Brazil). Goal : Stephanie Catley (52e penalty) for Australia.
FACTS AND STATS
- A penalty of Stephanie Catley was enough to give the 1-0 win for Australia in the opening game before a Crowd Record in Australia of 75 784 spectators !
- Samantha Kerr, Australia’s all time leading international scorer – among men and women – with 63 goals, substained a calf muscle injury yesterday and was ruled out of the opening game of Australia against Ireland.
- Clare Polkinghorne (158 caps) for Australia and Niahm Fahey (107 caps) for Ireland were the most capped players on the field.
- Australia is well primed as co-hosts of the tournament. The team went undefeated in February’s Cup of Nations, beating Jamaica, Spain and the Czech Republic. In April, the Matilda’s ended England’s 30-game unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win.
- Ireland played in its first World Cup . A warm-up match against Colombia in Brisbane was called after 20 minutes because of what the Irish said was rough play.
- Denise O’Sullivan was taken to the hospital with a shin injury the midfielder sustained during the behind-closed-doors match against Colombia. But she was ready for the opening game.
- Ireland upset Australia in a friendly in Dublin in Mai 2021with 3-2. It was the last game between the two teams before today.
- Vera Pauw coached Ireland’s national team since 2019. It is her fifth National team job after Scotland, Netherlands, Russia and South Africa.