USA 0 - POR 0

We went to our last football match in New Zealand as our trip comes to a close today. It was the match where we had hoped to see the USWNT finally unleash on their opponent as we didn’t feel like they did all they could against Vietnam and the Netherlands. That is not what happened at all. We saw a team that didn’t look comfortable and cohesive as a unit. And Portugal gave a great effort and came incredibly close to knocking out the tournament favorites. Paula wore both Portuguese and USA scarves and supported both her countries on what was a momentous day to see these two teams play each other. I truly hope we see them in a match against each other again. For now USA moves on to the round of 16 against Sweden and they have an uphill battle. They are a talented group of players and we know they can dig deep and come back stronger from this.

New Memories

For us, we leave a beautiful country with a new set of memories of people we have met, landscapes unlike anything we have seen, feeling proud to have supported women all over the world playing this great sport. And maybe even starting a new tradition….

Thank You

I want to say a BIG thank you to my travel companions, Amy 1.0, Amy 1.5 and Paula. This was just an idea and a dream 10 months ago and we had no idea if we could make it happen. It all came together so beautifully and made special by spending it with these three.

I also want to thank all those at home that followed and read my blog. It’s a challenge to take so many activities in a day and try to condense them down to the highlights. I hope you got a flavor for our experience. I feel like I have more to write which I will attempt when I get home in addition to processing many many photos.

I would love to hear from you all. What stood out to you? Feel free to leave a comment on this blog or message me.

THANK YOU!

The view from the air and the rails

The weather is talked about a lot in Wellington especially since it is constantly changing and is often wet and windy. Locals even try to plan to live on the sunny side of the street when moving to a new house or apartment. After a couple of cold days for us California girls, Saturday came and the weather was glorious. The air was still, the sun was out and the clouds were minimal. No rain in sight. Everyone was out. Tourists, families with children, people with dogs were all walking the path next to the water.

Shed 6

The Wellington waterfront has restaurants and businesses that are distinguished by their shed number. Earlier in the week Amy and I walked by Shed 6 which was a helicopter tour company. This peaked our interest since we did a flight over Kauai last year which was amazing. We walked in and inquired and I said “Flights must be cancelled all the time here due to windy conditions” The pilot confirmed that it does happen often. We heard that Saturday’s weather was supposed to be good so we said we would come back. The weather could not have been more perfect for a flight. The helipad was literally a 2 minute walk from the office on the water’s edge.  We did the “South Coast Discovery” flight over the southern coastline of the city and the highlights were seeing the Makara wind farm (similar to the large white windmills you see in Palm Springs), the Karori Rock Lighthouse, seal colonies and views of the Marlborough Sounds, the top of the South Island. A special feature of this flight is landing on the beach of one of the seal colonies and we got to see the New Zealand fur seals sunning on the beach. According to Dai, they are in large numbers in the winter on this beach and travel further south in the winter. The oil from their fur is so potent it stains all the logs and rocks they lay on. On the return trip we were treated to incredible views of this nation’s capital city including the oval shaped Sky Stadium where we watched two football matches.

Northern Explorer Train

For our return trip home back to Auckland, we opted for a 11 hour scenic train ride from Wellington instead of a boring, bumpy 1 hour flight. From the railway website: “The Northern Explorer train journey follows the historic North Island Main Trunk Railway (NIMT). Completed in 1908, the railway was the dream of Julius Vogel, who wanted to connect the North Island interior - and the people who lived there. In an age before roads, the journey from Auckland to Wellington took several days of treacherous sailing around the coast. The railway would enable the journey to take less than a day. But the terrain along the way proved difficult and expensive to build upon. As a result, the NIMT took almost 30 years to complete.” The train had an open air viewing car, multiple passenger cars, a cafe and a baggage/food storage car. Some of the highlights included seeing the coast at the southern end and then traversing though farmlands, soaring over viaducts and three spectacular volcanoes,  Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruho and Mount Tongagiro. It was a site to remember forever. Then after seeing these massive snow covered volcanoes we saw swamps which are used for training by the military camp. This is truly Lord of the Rings country.

Dedicated Fans - Angel City FC 2 - Portland Thorns FC 1

Meanwhile back at home ACFC had their first game after a long break. We played The Portland Thorns in a Challenge Cup game and any contest against the Thorns is a tough match. While we couldn’t be there in person, our friends took our seats and saw a stunner of a game with lots of drama including a penalty kick blocked by our new goalie Angelina Anderson who made her NWSL debut. As we meandered this railway we tuned in to the radio broadcast when we had reception and high fived each other when the announcer called the win for ACFC.

SWE 5 - ITA 0

The second game we attended in Wellington was Sweden vs Italy. The former is ranked number 3 in the world so we expected a good performance. We were a little surprised to see Italy take more of a lead in the beginning of the game and even get a couple of shots off. Then as if a switch was flipped Sweden unleashed on Italy. It was definitive proof of why they are ranked number 3 particularly when it came to set pieces. Three times they scored off corner kicks that literally curved toward the goal to make it easy for the forwards to just get their heads or feet on it to guide the goal into the back of the net. One of the headlines on their performance after the goal was “A set-piece master class” and that said it all. One of the most fun moments of the night was watching the youngest Swedish fan in the stadium watching the game from his dad’s lap. Many years from now he can say he saw Sweden win a match in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

A reunion and a local’s touch

Yesterday was a free day for us in Wellington with no matches to attend which allowed time for sightseeing. Our friend Paula went to university in Portugal with Luis who happens to live in Wellington with his husband Colin. This is the first time these two friends have seen each other in 24 years. Colin is a volunteer and guides tours at Zealandia which is a protected urban sanctuary and he offered us a personalized tour. It is home to some of New Zealand’s most rare wildlife and is set on a picturesque reservoir surrounded by trees.

Colin led us through the sanctuary and the trails are covered in a canopy of trees, plants and ferns which was reminiscent of walking in the rainforest in the South Island when we hiked The Milford Track in 2008. He taught us about the species of birds that live in the sanctuary including some that have been restored from the brink of extinction. The location was in the hills above the city and it was quiet and a welcome break from city traffic and noise.

After our tour of Zealandia Luis and Colin suggested we use the Wellington Cable Car to get back into the city. It is a running funicular railway in the heart of the central business district and provides a unique form of public transport. The landing at the top of the cable car route has a museum, observatory, cafe and an amazing view.

The day turned to evening and we capped it off with a nice dinner, drinks and plenty of questions answered by our local guides, Luis and Colin, about this special island nation.

NED 1 - USA 1

By now I’m sure the entire world or anyone remotely following the Women’s World Cup has heard the result of the matchup between the United States and the Netherlands was a tie.

The game was at 1 pm local time at Sky Stadium which is literally next to the ocean in Wellington. In fact it looked like the areas just outside the stadium are used as a port for exporting wood and we saw heavy equipment operators moving massive logs.

The energy of the USA fans in the stadium was palpable and it felt like there were more fans than our first game against Vietnam.

We got to the stadium right when the gates opened at 11 am and walked the full loop around the oval shaped stadium. My super recognizer skills were on point as I spotted the two younger sisters of our very own ACFC player Alyssa Thompson. Alyssa, at -18 years old is the youngest player on the USWNT and from Los Angeles. Gisele Thompson is also a USWNT player on the U-20 team and we have heard their youngest sister Zoe is on a similar path. Amy 1.5 was proudly wearing her #7 Alyssa Thompson jersey when we snapped a photo.

We also met Alyssa’s dad and he was just beaming and so happy to see fans for his daughter there to support her. It was such a cool experience.

Game Recap

I’m not a football analyst however after watching the game and reading the analysts comments our instincts about the game were pretty spot on. We think more substitutions could have been made. It was a very physical game. The officials should have called more fouls to control the physicality. The Netherlands scored relatively early in the first half and this was an opportunity for the US to show how they handle adversity. They absolutely dominated the second half. Lindsey Horan was fouled badly by Danielle van de Donk who is her teammate in France when they are not in the World Cup. Lindsey was pissed and words were exchanged between the two. Horan got even by heading in a corner and scoring the game equalizer off a Lavelle corner kick. It was a defining moment for our captain to show up and change the momentum of the game. How she reacted to that adversity after getting fouled is what will teach the younger and newer players how to be champions. It was amazing to see. And by far the most intense sporting event I have ever watched.

A wander and a new city

New Zealanders or Kiwi as they are also called of course speak English however they do use words we as Americans are not accustomed to. For example, if you are talking about a long walk or a hike they call it going for a “wander”. By the way it is ok to call a New Zealander a Kiwi. If you are referring to the national bird or the fruit you say kiwi bird and kiwi fruit.

Amy and I heard about the Coast to Coast walk which is a hike across Auckland which highlights the natural and built heritage areas of the city with panoramic views along the way.

We wondered if the wander would be worth the 10+ mile walk. We headed out early on Tuesday morning, I got a coffee first of course and off we went. Once we got out of the business district we were treated to beautiful city parks with massive green fields, many of which had football or rugby goalposts. We also walked through multiple residential neighborhoods and got a feel for how people live. We saw school kids in uniforms and some were playing football at recess. We hiked to the top of Mt. Eden which is the highest point in Auckland. The 360 degree views were well worth the effort. What also made this worth it was the comforting Italian food we ate after we completed it.

The San Francisco of New Zealand

After 7 days in Auckland, it was time for us to leave Auckland today and follow the USWNT to their next match in Wellington. We packed our stuff and headed to the airport for our 10 am flight. I knew it would be a short flight but I swear we went up and I blinked and we landed. Fun fact; Wellington is known for being the windiest city in the world. And did we feel it on our flight? Let’s just say if I’m on a plane anywhere in the world in inclement weather, I hope my pilot received their training in Wellington.

The city is stunning from the air. It has a dramatic shoreline, houses nestled into the hillside.The ocean has varying shades of blue. I can certainly see why people think it is similar to San Francisco.

We spent the day checking into our hotel and walking our new city. So far it has less of a commercial business vibe than Auckland with more clothing stores; lots of restaurants of varying cuisines and even record stores. And of course a coffee shop on every block which makes me really happy.

Next up USA vs NED tomorrow which is a big game. These fans need to rest up!

Road Trip to Rotorua

On Sunday, July 23rd we had a free day from our soccer matches and wanted to take advantage of it by getting out of the city and taking an overnight trip to Rotorua. Amy and I came here in 2006, our first time to New Zealand. It made an impression on us and we wanted to share the experience with Amy and Paula.

We left Auckland early in a rental car to make the 3+ hour drive to Rotorua and our plan was to go to the Wai-O-Tapu (wai-ow-taa-poo) Thermal Wonderland and to the Mitai Māori Cultural Experience. Rotorua is south of Auckland and is situated roughly at the bottom of the top third of the north island.

Our driver Amy 1.0 got a crash course in roundabouts and driving on the opposite side of the car and road as we headed out of the city. Between the car navigation system, phone GPS and her human navigator (Amy 1.5) we made it successfully and didn’t get lost. Amy and I wondered how we navigated in a campervan in 2006 with no such technology. I guess we used a map, made of paper. GASP.

When we arrived at the geothermal park we definitely felt more of a chill as it was only 41 degrees. Due to the geothermal conditions beneath the earth, the area has many hot springs noted for their colorful appearance and also has boiling mud pools. The park is very well laid out with a pathway that we easily walked in about 3 hours and that included stopping for many pictures. It was well worth the trip to get out of the city and see something so unique and scenic. Next it was time for lunch, check into the hotel and a rest before heading to the cultural experience.

Mitai Māori Cultural Experience

The Mitai Māori village has been operating over 20 years which means when Amy and I went in 2006 it was fairly new. The experience was largely the same as it was 17 years ago. The village is family owned and run and their mission is to give its guests an authentic introduction to the Māori culture, the indigenous people of Autearoa, New Zealand. They depict this through traditional dress, song, dance including a “Haka” Māori war dance. I personally love this experience because of its authenticity and their dedication to educating their guests to this special culture.

Group E - Netherlands 1 - Portugal - 0

The second game of Group E happened on Saturday night and we are keenly interested because they are the competition for the US and it was Portugal’s debut to the World Cup. Our hotel TVs in Auckland don’t have access to the channel showing the World Cup. By sheer silly luck our hotel in Rotorua gave us access to the game and we could record it so we could watch it when we got back from the cultural experience. I told the girls I planned it that way….

The New Zealand Football Ferns make history

When we woke up yesterday, we heard a helicopter and police activity outside our hotel room and down the street in the distance. We heard the news of a terrible tragedy of a mass shooting that occurred. We learned by the details later that we were not in any immediate danger. The FIFA Fan Fest would be cancelled however the Opening Game would proceed as planned. A heavy way to start the day and this tournament.

The Opening Game took place at 7 p.m. at Eden Park with New Zealand vs. Norway. The doors opened at 4:30 p.m. and we knew we wanted to be there as soon as the gates opened. With some time to burn, and since the weather was still pretty decent (rain is coming) we decided to go up to the telecommunications and observation tower called the Sky Tower. It stands at 1,076 feet tall making it the second tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere. It has an observation area on the 53rd and 60th floors with 360 degree views. It was well worth it to see Auckland from all angles, its prominent buildings and views of the water.

After the Sky Tower, we had a some lunch to fuel our bodies and get ready for our first World Cup Match. Fans can use Auckland’s public transportation for free to get to games. For us that meant a short walk to the Britomart train station and hopping on the Western Line to the Kingsland stop. Once we got to Eden Park with about 20 minutes to spare, the excitement started to build outside the gates seeing the FIFA signage and the staff prepping for what would surely be long lines at the stores selling souvenirs. At 4:30 pm promptly the wait was finally over and we walked in and began to take it all in.

Your Captain is Our Captain

For us Angel City fans this game had a special meaning beyond being the Opening Game of the World Cup. The captain of the New Zealand Football Ferns is named Ali Riley. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and is the captain of our very own Angel City Football Club. Her father is from Christchurch, New Zealand. We wore our Angel City gear to ensure all the Football Fern fans knew we were there to support their team and their captain.

We walked the entire Eden Park stadium and the excitement continued to build and I personally enjoyed seeing a trip that was so many months in the planning come to fruition and was beaming the whole time. The Opening Game ceremony had so many elements including depicting the rich history of the Māori people who are the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa New Zealand. It also celebrated the 32 nations who have qualified for the tournament. It had music, dance groups and fireworks.

Game Time

The game was closely matched early on there was no score going into the second half. I was happy for the Football Ferns, ranked 26th to hold off the 12th ranked Norwegian team. In the 48th minute after a beautiful cross Hannah Wilkinson scored in the 48th minute. GOOOAAALLLLL!!!! The crowd went crazy and so did we. Now we would just have to hold them and that we did. The Ferns did a great job of controlling the second half and Norway had so many chances and just couldn’t pull off a goal. Throughout the game we heard a group starting chants for the Ferns which was one of my favorite parts of the match. Let’s Go New Zealand! Let’s go Aotearoa (Au-tee-uh-row-uh)! At 90 minutes, the Ferns were still ahead at 1-0 and had 9 minutes of stoppage time to hold off Norway. It was a long nine minutes! The whistle blew and the entire Football Ferns team ran onto the field hugging one another as they just made history. This was New Zealand’s first World Cup tournament win in history. Our captain, Ali Riley was interviewed and overcome with emotion for what this meant to her, the team and the nation. The moment that gave me goosebumps was when all the players and staff had pretty much cleared the pitch and Ali walked alone to the center and just looked up to the sky and then down to hold her face with emotion. What. A. Moment.

A full day in Auckland CBD

Our departure from LAX was pretty smooth especially given we were on a very full plane, approximately 300 people. We had a celebrity sighting of one of the passengers, Sue Bird (Megan Rapinoe’s fiancé).

Thirteen hours and 6500 miles later we landed in Auckland along with 2 other flights around the same time. The airport was packed so it was a slow go through passport control, customs and getting to our hotel which all in all took 3 hours. As we were exiting the airport we saw our first FIFA signage and happily took a photo.

We are staying at the Avani Metropolis Hotel and we were so thankful to have our hotel rooms ready for us to check in. We all took hot showers to clean up and felt “new” again. Time to go get a coffee to perk up a bit and explore the Central Business District (CBD). Most of you know what a coffee enthusiast I am and I’m thankful to say that Auckland’s coffee game so far seems right on par with L.A. Lots and lots of places offer “coffee takeaway”. I had a flat white this morning and it was delicious.

We decided we would go towards the wharf and find some fish and chips for lunch. Along the way we did some window shopping. The city was definitely bustling with people in the CBD. We saw the Britomart train station which we will transport from to get to The Opening Games.

All of us kept commenting on the weather and how nice it was. I was frankly really surprised that it was so nice. And apparently I have reason to be which I will explain. We thought maybe we should take advantage of this amazing weather and take a ferry ride or a boat through the Harbor. We found a company that takes guest on a sailboat through the harbor. The boat left in 30 minutes and would be about a 75 minute trip. Perfect! The sky was clear with puffy white clouds and the boat moved slow enough to take many photos and video.

The captain of the ship said, “You picked a good day to come out because this is the nicest day we have had all year.” Down under they are in the middle of their winter so I clarified with her, “This is the nicest day you have had all year, including earlier this year when it was summer?” She said yes! Wow, I was so pleased and felt so lucky we could experience it.

After the boat ride, around 5 p.m. it became clear we packed in a LOT and it was a very long day. Time to turn in early and get our rest so that we are fired up for the Opening Ceremonies tomorrow.

Aotearoa New Zealand Bound

It’s finally here. The planning for this trip started a little more than 9 months ago. The 2022 National Women’s Soccer League season was coming to a close. Angel City FC just finished their inaugural season and I attended every home game. My love for this new professional women’s soccer team in Los Angeles ignited a passion for the game that I hadn’t felt since I was a teen playing in high school.

My fellow ACFC season ticket holders Amy and Paula and Amy and I knew the World Cup was coming in 2023 and just started saying wouldn’t it be cool if we could go? Why not?

We knew nothing about the logistics of getting tickets for and attending such a huge sporting event. I signed up for a FIFA newsletter so that I could be notified when tickets would go on sale. And with a little bit of sleuthing, strategy, lots of planning and pure luck we are going to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup!

New Zealand

Planes, trains and automobiles to travel the North Island

The Basics

It is the first Women’s World Cup to be hosted across two countries Australia and New Zealand. 

The opening games of the tournament — New Zealand vs Norway and Australia vs Republic of Ireland — will be played on July 20. 

The final will be played in Australia (Sydney) on August 20th. 

32 teams qualified for the tournament, an increase of 8 teams since 2019. There are 8 groups of 4 teams competing to get out of the group stage. The top two teams in each group advance to the round of 16. 

We will see all three USWNT games in the group stage in addition to three other games including the opening ceremony in New Zealand (Auckland).

Check back regularly to follow our journey.