Women’s World Cup: Epic awakening for New Zealand after a first win

Considering New Zealand had never won any of their previous 15 World Cup games, losing 12 and drawing three, and considering the pressure that comes with being co-hosts of the tournament, it’s little wonder that their media was so chuffed with their very excellent win over Norway.

Over to you Michael Burgess of the New Zealand Herald:

“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 New Zealand fell in love with women’s football, after one of the most extraordinary matches in our sporting history.

Copa 71: ‘These women were gaslit. Imagine playing a sport at the highest level and then being told, that didn’t exist’

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Amber Barrett: ‘I say nothing when I don’t know the full truth ... The social media people should have done the same’

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Sports Review 2023: Magical moment as Katie McCabe creates history

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Katie McCabe interview: ‘It’s important to have characters, you don’t want a team of robots’

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

Who said it was ‘only a game’?

(Hopefully we’ll be writing something similar in this neck of the woods come Wednesday.)

Lionesses get their rhymes in a mess

Former Spice Girl Mel C and a host of musical people – who are probably very famous but are unknown to anyone over 25 – have released a highly catchy tune in honour of England’s quest for their first World Cup triumph.

It goes by the name of ‘Call Me A Lioness’ and urges Sarina Wiegman’s crew to follow up their Euro 2022 success by triumphing in Australia/New Zealand.

You never want to be mean about these things, but according to the Guardian, the song features quite possibly the most terrible verse in the history of football tunes:

“We’re going to Down Under, putting 10 past the ‘keeper,

it’s easy to believe, when you’ve got a Sarina.”

If ‘keeper’ and ‘Sarina’ even rhymed, you might let it go, but ...

Nigeria’s 40-year-old defender comes under attack

At 40 years of age, Nigerian defender Onome Ebi is the oldest player at this World Cup which is, remarkably, her fifth – that’s the most appearances in the tournament by any African player, male or female.

She’s had some club career too, playing for 12 clubs in all, in Sweden, Turkey, Belarus, China and Spain, having started out with the, eh, quirkily named Omidiran Babes in Nigeria.

Naturally, everyone back home was thrilled for her making it to this World Cup. Well, apart from Godwin Izilien, former coach of Nigeria. “She has no business in that team. Her reflexes and ability to run fast are gone.” And journalist Osasu Obayiuwana. “How can a 40-year-old, who is spent, make the World Cup squad? How can a coach be proud of such an unprofessional decision?”

Harsh. Ageist too. So you couldn’t but be happy when Nigeria kept a (rare) clean sheet in their draw against Canada on Friday ... if a little sad that Ebi was left on the bench. If she’s spent, if her reflexes and ability to run fast are gone, hopefully she’ll be recalled for Nigeria’s meeting with Ireland.

Dutch not bowled over by facilities in New Zealand

Dutch manager Andries Jonker is not happy. The training pitch his squad have been assigned in New Zealand has a peculiar non-footbally look about it, it being oval-shaped with a granite-like strip in the centre. “I have been told it is used by cricketers to bounce the ball when bowling,” he said, not sounding overly familiar with the sport of cricket.

But yes, it is a cricket ground, the Bay Oval in Tauranga. And the wicket is the problem. “That thing is rock hard and dangerous for our players. This is amateurism of the highest order,” said Jonker. Are you thinking what we’re thinking? Yup, the Dutch Saipan.

Quote of the day

“My mum was saying I had a shout-out at Mass last Sunday, so I think I have officially made it.” – Amber Barrett. If she gets on and scores against Canada, they’ll be building shrines to her next. As they should.

Number: 10.8

That’s how many kms Denise O’Sullivan covered during the game against Australia, more than any other player on the pitch. Some engine.