Top FIFA WWC 2023 moments

Sport Review #248

Hannah Wilkinson’s goal, obviously - even if I did experience this one in the hot chocolate queue, it revved the tournament up from the very start.

Ellie Carpenter noticing McKenzie Arnold after the penalty shoot out - watch it here. This goes alongside Tardelli’s celebration for me.

Eden Park - it was amazing the whole tournament. Yes it’s designed like a camel and yes it’s in the wrong place, but when it’s all dressed up for the big occasion, it goes OK. Best moments since Grant Elliott in 2015, oh and the Black Ferns last year.

Jacqui Hand hitting the post a million times - it would have been preferable to see these go in, granted, but her performances alongside young players like Malia Steinmetz and Indiah Paige-Riley, with Milly Clegg and Micheala Foster waiting in the wings shows the next generation is ready to come through and keep this all going here in New Zealand.

Team USA - just their whole vibe. They turned up at East Coast Bays FC with about 65 support staff, graciously met all the kids, dramatically walked out of hotel rooms in suits, and then did… not much at all. Auckland was full of American fans, who were amazing, they deserved better.

Japan 4 Spain 0 - an unreal performance of moving and finishing. I thought Japan were definitely going to win it after this, shows you what I know.

This Tik Tok account - crucial back story throughout, 10/10 content.

Sam Kerr v England - ten minutes where anything seemed possible. And…

The Matildas overall - a fantastic team. Carpenter, Russo, Fowler, who seems to glide 20cm above the turf. The nerves shown in that brutal penalty shootout will stay with me a long time.

Spain v Sweden - the perfect way to cap it all off in New Zealand. A slow burn with an extraordinary finish. Football, bloody hell and all that.

Thanks for reading - Richard

This week's best NZ sport content

Who else has the post-Word Cup blues? Suzanne McFadden came in a bit World Cup-ed out and left a die hard football fan, while Stephen Gallagher looks at the momentum for women’s sport built off all these world cups [Locker Room, Sportsfreak]

It was striking how well this world cup was run - the ticketing app was the business, the food queues ran smoothly and the public transport was amazing (in Auckland anyway). Hamish Girvan loved the experience, while Mark Geenty thought it succeeded despite our half arsed stadium infrastructure [Sportsfreak, Stuff]

Meanwhile, it’s hand-wringing-about-the-NPC-o’clock, with NZR CEO Mark Robinson kicking it off this year by stating the obvious, calling the competition ‘Not fit for purpose.’ In a week where we’re meant to get excited about consuming Taika hanging out with All Blacks content online, Dylan Cleaver spoke to an NPC CEO to try and figure it out, and got some words if not some answers [The Bounce]

At last some decent stats.

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Video nasty

Now we all support the Aussies, here’s your theme song.

Long read

Amazing profile of George Meyer, the guy who came up with all your favourite Simpsons jokes [New Yorker]

Recommendation 

Honestly, this sounds amazing.