AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Women's World Cup squads in Auckland were shocked but safe after a deadly shooting near several team hotels overshadowed the opening day of the tournament Thursday.
"At first we didn't know what was going on, but eventually there were updates on TV and the local media," she said in a statement hours before the 0700 GMT kickoff.FIFA said in a statement that it had been "in constant contact with the participating teams affected by this incident". The month-long tournament has expanded from 24 teams in France four years ago and is being staged in two different countries for the first time, in nine cities across Australia and New Zealand.
The Football Ferns are hoping to win a World Cup match for the first time at the 16th attempt when they play former champions Norway at Auckland's Eden Park, following the opening ceremony. "We are really confident, but for us, it's just about the first game," the Chelsea striker, the unofficial face of the tournament, said.PAY GAP
Women's football is at an all-time high and the expansion of the World Cup has come with greatly increased prize money.