Women's World Cup opener features first VAR in-stadium announcement
Women’s World Cup opener features first in-stadium announcement of a VAR decision…but fans still CAN’T hear the reasons behind the decision
- New Zealand were awarded a late penalty by VAR against Norway
- Referee Yoshimi Yamashita announced the decision to the crowd
- New Zealand won the Women’s World Cup opener 1-0
The Women’s World Cup opener featured an in-stadium announcement of a VAR decision for the first time, as New Zealand were awarded a late penalty.
With two minutes left in the Football Ferns’ 1-0 win over Norway on Thursday, a cross hit Tuva Hansen’s right hand while the Norway defender was stood on the edge of the box.
As play stopped, the VAR official intervened to instruct referee Yoshimi Yamashita to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
Yamashita proceeded to do just that, before informing the crowd of the outcome.
‘After an official review, the decision is penalty,’ she said.
Yoshimi Yamashita awarded New Zealand a penalty after a VAR review
Yamashita’s decision was heard as an in-stadium announcement in Auckland
The Women’s World Cup is the first tournament in which FIFA is currently trialling a new protocol in its competitions allowing referees to communicate the final decision at the end of a VAR check to stadium and television audiences.
The conversation leading to the decision, however, remains inaudible to both fans in the stadium and those watching on TV.
New Zealand eventually missed the penalty, with Ria Percival smashing her effort against the bar.
It did not prevent the Football Ferns from securing their first ever win at a Women’s World Cup in front of 42,000 fans – a record crowd for a football match in New Zealand.
Hannah Wilkinson scored the only goal of the game three minutes into the second half and the hosts twice came close to doubling their lead.
Norway rattled the bar late on themselves, but New Zealand held on for a famous win.
‘I’m so, so proud, we’ve been fighting for this for so long,’ New Zealand captain Ali Riley said in an emotional post-match interview.
‘We had a clear goal that we wanted to inspire young girls, young people around this country and around the world.
Ria Percival took the penalty for the Football Ferns after VAR’s intervention
Percival’s penalty crashed against the bar but it did not matter as New Zealand hung on
‘And I really think we did that tonight. Anything is possible.’
‘I think there’s been a lot of doubters because of the results we’ve had but we’ve believed.
‘We believed in ourselves this entire game, we believed in ourselves from the very beginning and we showed it.
‘We played with confidence and with poise, Vic [goalkeeper Victoria Esson] was incredible, the defending was incredible, and the finish […] this is what dreams are made of.’
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