EL SEGUNDO, CA -- A1-New Zealand had played 15 WWC matches and had won none (0-12-3) and if you watched the jitters they had in the first few minutes, with turnovers and hesitation, I thought one-time champion A2-Norway was going to win easily. But playing at home in front a NZL soccer record 42,137 fans in Auckland, speed from the back ended with a great cross and finish in the 48' for NZL. That was enough to give NZL their first WWC win.
Two VAR checks on NOR handballs resulted in just the latter being awarded a PK which NZL missed to create more drama. Interesting that if ref reverses her call, she announces the change to the stadium crowd. Really cool.
So watched the midnight start and working on the pool until the 3 am start for the second game, which saw B1-Australia hold off B2-Rep of Ireland in front an AUS women's soccer record of 75,784 fans in Sydney. AUS also scored early on a PK in the 2nd half (51') as both hosts won
1-0. Wore my 2017 Sydney FC (AUS) home jersey (since this AUS's one game in Sydney in group stage) with one of the last plums on our tree (we picked more than 100 plums the past few weeks).
Unofficially, we have a WWC-record 47 entries from a WWC-record 34 people. Of course, E1-USA is the overwhelming pick to win their 3rd straight title (26) but H1-Germany (6), D1-England (5), and C1-Spain (5) also got some love.
Three picked NZL (TroJenn, TroJenn2, Tiny Destroyer) and 44 of 47 picked AUS to win with the two TroJenns tied with 2 points a piece. KevLo 3 and Merman got both matches wrong.
2017H-plum.jpg)
Posts
