Women’s World Cup spotlight shining on Australia as co-host New Zealand seeks its own attention

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Soccer Writer

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s Football Ferns are aiming to win fans as well as matches at the Women’s World Cup. New Zealand kicks off the Women’s World Cup on Thursday night local time with a game against Norway. The Ferns got the nod for the tournament opener and will be followed by co-host Australia’s match against Ireland in Sydney. New Zealand Football announced that the opener at Auckland’s Eden Park will have the biggest crowd for a soccer match in the country’s history, some 50,000. That’s a big crowd for a country known more for its love of rugby.