A dramatic opener
Canada kicked-off their campaign as hosts by entertaining China. The match faced a gripping 90 minutes, and neither side could be separated. It looked as if the game was going to go down as a stalemate, and fans would be forced to wait until the second fixture to see their side’s first goal.
That was until Christine Sinclair stepped up to cap off the opening fixture of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in dramatic fashion – slotting home with perfection from the penalty spot to edge the three points in injury time.
It became the first of many entertaining, and painstakingly close games, but will always be remembered in this year’s host nation.
Selfie celebrations for Norway
Heading into their clash with Thailand, the Scandinavian nation were expected to impress, and they certainly lived up to expectations on a day which saw 14 goals in just two matches.
The squad had previously celebrated with the bench for their opening two goals, but Isabell Herlovsen’s headed effort produced slightly different results.
Opening Group B on just the second day of the tournament, the third goal inside 35 minutes led to Herlovsen celebrating her goal by taking an imaginary selfie with her teammates, producing a special moment for this year’s tournament much like when Colombia took the 2014 men’s World Cup by storm with their choreographed moves.
Double digits for Deutschland
In the other Group B fixture, football fans were treated to a masterclass from Germany – favourites to compete with USA for the coveted trophy.
Many predicted the European heavyweights would knock five or six past debutants Ivory Coast, but no one saw ten goals finding their way into the net – with the first coming as early as the third minute.
The group leaders are now expected to breeze through to the latter rounds, after coming harrowingly close to repeating their success in front of goal from the 2007 tournament, where they recorded a World Cup record 11-0 victory over Argentina.
Two hat-tricks and six different scorers against Ivory Coast this time round showed the versatility they have to offer, and all eyes will be on their encounter with Thailand, which could become another humiliation.
Marta breaks record
Samba stars Brazil concluded the opening set of fixtures early on Wednesday morning, and their 2-0 victory over South Korea came as little surprise. However there were a few exceptional moments some may not have expected.
Firstly Formiga became the oldest player to score in the World Cup finals when she netted after just over half an hour, before team-mate and Brazilian legend Marta stepped up to convert a spot-kick to become the tournament’s all-time leading top scorer.
Marta overtook retired German Birgit Prinz, when she netted her 15th World Cup goal – and will be expected to add a few more over the coming fixtures.
After three goals in the United States in the 2003 edition, the FC Rosengård forward added seven and four goals in the 2007 and 2011 tournaments respectively. 91 goals in 92 international appearances is a remarkable record for any footballer, and her second half penalty was certainly one to celebrate.
Supporters out in their numbers
While the women’s game is yet to receive the support and grand status of the men’s World Cup, supporters have been out in force this year. England fans arrived in such numbers they were left queuing outside as the match kicked-off due to the demand, while stadiums have been packed out for some back-to-back fixtures.
Television viewers have also shown impressive numbers, notably in North America, Europe and Asia. Canada’s opening match saw 1.8 million tune in in the home country, while England’s 1.5 million viewers on BBC saw a bigger audience than any group stage match from the last tournament. However, our favourite fan comes from the United States’ encounter with Australia, and it could be tough to find better.
