It was the tournament we had all been waiting for, and the opening day provided us with twists and turns on and off the pitch.
From shock injury news to the home crowds in raptures, these are the five talking points from the opening day of action at the Women’s World Cup.
1. Kerr news shocks Aussie football fans
As New Zealand closed out its stunning victory over Norway in the opening match of the tournament, nervous energy was building across the Tasman as Australia counted down the minutes to the Matildas clash with Ireland.
Soon, that nervous energy turned into straight up anxiety.
Social media and phone alerts lit up with news that Sam Kerr had injured her calf and was not only out for the opener, but would miss the following match against Nigeria in Brisbane, too.
“Unfortunately I sustained a calf injury yesterday in training,” Kerr posted on Instagram.
“I wanted to share this with everyone so there is no distraction from us doing what we came here to achieve.
“Of course I would have loved to have been out there tonight but I can’t wait to be a part of this amazing journey, which starts now.”
The concern now turns to whether Kerr will be fit to play against Canada on July 31, just four days after that Nigeria game.
The Tokyo Olympic champions are a huge threat to claim top spot in the group, although the victory over Ireland has at least created an early buffer for the Aussies.
Australia’s leading goalscorer will be crucial moving forward if the Matildas make it out of the group stage.
2. Clinical Catley gives Matildas the lead
With an emotional Kerr on the sidelines, the obvious question heading into the match was around how Australia would put a score on the board.
Ireland had defended stoically in the first half, with opportunities few and far between for the Matildas to break through.
But five minutes into the second half, the moment arrived.
As the cross came in from the left, players piled into the box to shoot or clear, with Matildas star Hayley Raso one of the Aussies looking to get her head to ball.
Tightly marked by Ireland’s Marissa Sheva, Raso tumbled to the ground as it became clear that Sheva’s defence was a little too tight.
The penalty was called, and Steph Catley stepped up to the spot, as 75,000 people held their breath in unison at Stadium Australia.
As the whistle blew, Catley strode forward with the confidence of a player that looked like she had been in this situation a million times before.
She went left. The goalkeeper went right. The crowd went off.
Australia was on the board, and the goal would prove to be the difference between the two teams.
3. World Cup momentum pushes equality message
Amid campaigns for equal pay and conditions for female athletes, the 2023 World Cup is fast becoming the best argument for women’s sports.
Close to 1.4 million tickets have been snapped up, surpassing previous tournament records.
More Matildas jerseys have sold than the Socceroos managed during and since the 2022 men’s World Cup, according to sportswear brand Nike.
Almost 80,000 fans watched the Tillies kick off their World Cup campaign against Ireland at Stadium Australia, a national record crowd for women’s football.
The match was initially scheduled to take place at the 42,000-capacity Sydney Football Stadium, but Football Australia (FA) and FIFA agreed to take a chance and flip the game to the bigger venue.
“At the time there were a lot of questions about whether we’d sell this out,” FA chief executive James Johnson told AAP.
“We took a decision to shift to Stadium Australia and I’m so delighted to see this wonderful stadium sell out, it actually brings a tear to my eye.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent a message of support to the Matildas ahead of their opening game.
“The whole of Australia is cheering you on tonight,” he said in a video.
“You’ll do us proud.”
4. Fears of NZ apathy disappear in a moment
On a day that started with tragedy, sport provided that magical tonic that it often does at Eden Park.
With New Zealand still reeling from the horror of the Auckland shootings earlier in the day, a packed crowd gathered to watch the underdog Football Ferns tackle Norway to launch the World Cup onto the global stage.
There had been talk in the lead-up that Kiwi fans had been apathetic towards the tournament, with sluggish ticket sales suggesting this would just be another sideshow to an All Blacks loving nation with their eyes firmly on the Rugby Championship.
But all of those thoughts disappeared in one beautiful, glorious moment in the 48th minute as Eden Park rose as one.
Having been arguably the better team in the first half, New Zealand went on the attack from a goalkeeper kick, sweeping down the field in unison and completely opening up the Norwegian defence.
With one final pass finding the magical feet of Hannah Wilkinson, the ball was guided into the back of the net and the New Zealand faithful in the crowd stood up in raptures.
“I still have goosebumps,” coach Jitka Klimkova said an hour after the game.
“We have waited for this moment for such a long, long time … it’s an unforgettable moment for me as a coach and all the players.”
Any thoughts of ambivalence disappeared in the magic of the World Cup.
5. Nigeria rules out boycott over player payments
Nigerian forward Toni Payne ruled out a player boycott of the team’s opening match against Canada in Naarm/Melbourne on Friday.
Controversy has dogged the Super Falcons’ preparation for the tournament, with American coach Randy Waldrum speaking out publicly against the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) over a range of issues, including owed player payments.
This led to rumours that the players could boycott their opening match, following similar protests during the 2019 Women’s World Cup, as well as the Women’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in 2022, where the Nigerian players staged a “sit-in” at their hotel.
At a pre-match press conference on Thursday, Waldrum refused to answer the question of whether the players were still owed money by the NFF.
“All of our focus has been on Canada and the team has come together to make this a focus and not be distracted,” he said.
“Personally I’ve said the things I’ve said, but when we’re here, we’re focused on Canada, so I don’t want to get into that. It’s all about the football now.”
Payne, however, gave an assertive “no” when asked if the players would forfeit the game, and said she “surely hoped” they would be given match payments.
Ironically, Nigeria’s opponents Canada have been embroiled in their own pay stoush with Canada Soccer, the national governing body.
Earlier this year, Canadian players floated a boycott of the SheBelieves Cup, while Canada Soccer threatened to sue the players in return.
Forced to participate in the tournament, the players wore purple t-shirts that read “enough is enough”, while The Matildas wore purple wrist-bands in support of the cause.
On Thursday, captain Christine Sinclair admitted there was “solidarity” among the various teams competing in the Women’s World Cup when it came to the fight for equality.
“In terms of equal pay, as footballers, we aim to have the best conditions possible for us,” Sinclair said.
Day two match schedule (AEST)
12.30pm: Nigeria v Canada at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
3pm: Philippines v Switzerland at Dunedin Stadium
5.30pm: Spain v Costa Rica at Wellington Regional Stadium
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