FIFA Women’s World Cup: Football Ferns attacker Jacqui Hand on the goal that wasn’t

Jacqui Hand said she felt “amazing” after scoring what she thought was for sure the equalising goal in the Football Ferns’ shock FIFA Women’s World Cup defeat to the Philippines.

But the feeling of pure joy that overcame the New Zealand right-winger was only temporary.

Once Hand and the rest of the Football Ferns team made it to the halfway line, her heart sank.

The goal was being checked by the Video Assistant Referee.

At that moment Hand knew her goal was going to be taken away from her and the Football Ferns would still be trailing 1-0.

“I thought, ‘typical,’’ Hand said.

The World Cup co-hosts suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat to the lowest-ranked team in group A after Hand had a potential equalising goal disallowed by the slimmest of margins in the 69th minute.

Hand rose high to head the ball into the back of the net after connecting to a cross from Hannah Wilkinson – the same two players who had combined for the winning goal in their first match against Norway.

But the goal was chalked off after replays showed Wilkinson’s right shoulder and part of her head were beyond the final defender when she received the ball.

By the letter of the law, Wilkinson was offside.

“Yep, that’s close,” were the first three words Hand responded with when footage of the offside decision was shown to her in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday’s loss.

While she was devastated her goal was disallowed, Hand said she accepted the decision.

“It’s VAR. They say it’s offside, so it’s offside.”

“I didn’t know it was being checked for a while until we got back to halfway. It’s just part of the game but it sucks, obviously. That’s what VAR is there for.”

The Philippines created history by claiming their first World Cup win in just their second match after striker Sarina Bolden out jumped the Football Ferns’ defence to score with a thumping header in the 24th minute.

The result leaves group A wide open heading into the Football Ferns’ final match of pool play, against Switzerland in Dunedin on Sunday.