Co-hosts open Women's World Cup with wins
Co-hosts Australia and New Zealand opened the ninth Women's World Cup with wins and record crowds on Thursday, after a shooting near the Norwegian team hotel in Auckland that left three dead and six injured threatened to overshadow the opening ceremony at the city's Eden Park stadium. After the ceremony celebrating traditional Maori and First Nations people of Australia culture, including the famous Haka war dance, a slick team goal finished off by Hannah Wilkinson was the difference at Eden Park in New Zealand's one-nil victory over Norway, their first ever World Cup win. The crowd of 42,137 beat the host nation's previous record for an international soccer match. "To get their first win at home while they're hosting... it's a moment in history, for women's football and for New Zealand women's football," said Kirsten Johnson, a 39-year-old New Zealand supporter from the United States. Authorities deployed extra police and security outside the stadium following the shooting in New Zealand's largest city. But Auckland police said the shooter was among those killed and the danger from the incident was over, while New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said there was no risk to national security. "Everyone woke up pretty quickly when the helicopter hovered outside the hotel window and a large number of emergency vehicles arrived - at first we didn't know what was going on, but eventually there were updates on TV and the local media," Norway captain Maren Mjelde was quoted as saying by newspaper Verdens Gang. A statement from football's governing body FIFA said it was supporting teams in the vicinity of the shooting. The tournament organisers kept a fan park in the city closed on Thursday. Australia's Matildas began their campaign with a scrappy one-nil win against Ireland in front of a crowd of 75,784 fans at Stadium Australia in Sydney – a record attendance for a women’s soccer match in the country. "It was really entertaining match, fast paced and intense, it was great," said Australia supporter Jacinta Hayde. "I think we’ve just got great momentum at the moment, really looking forward to seeing the rest." They were dealt a blow before kick-off, however, when talismanic striker Sam Kerr, arguably the face of the tournament, was ruled out of the first two games with a calf injury. (Reuters)