VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — New Zealand defender Finn Thurman made a surprise appearance on the scoresheet, paving the way for his team’s 3-1 lead. world cup They lost to Egypt on Sunday night.
The loss leaves New Zealand at the bottom of the group with one point, but there is a chance the team will advance to the finals. If the Kiwis score an upset win over Belgium in Vancouver on Friday and Egypt beat Iran in Seattle, they could advance to an unlikely second-place finish.
New Zealand maintained momentum throughout the first half against Egypt thanks to Thurman’s goal. In the 15th minute, following a corner kick from fellow defender Tim Paine, Thurman chased the ball and headed home from just outside the six-yard box.
“It was a pretty big jump,” Thurman said. “I felt like it was a good goal, so I’m very happy.”
The Kiwis went into half-time with a 1-0 lead, but a flurry of goals from Egypt in the second half saw New Zealand go from potentially top of the group to bottom.
“I think this represents the ups and downs of football,” he said. “I thought we played really well in the first half.”
Thurman added that her parents were present at the finish line and hoped it would be “something to remember and something to be proud of.”
Thurman’s game generally does not focus on scoring goals, with him only scoring three goals as a professional on record. His first goal came for Wellington Phoenix in the Australian A-League before he moved to Portland Timbers in 2024. He had previously scored twice for New Zealand, most recently in a friendly in 2025.
Thurman is one of only four players to have played the entirety of both World Cup matches for New Zealand. His goals gave the Kiwis hope early on, but their backline has struggled as New Zealand have conceded a total of five goals in the World Cup.
“We just had to believe,” team captain and starting striker Chris Wood said. “We have already performed very well on the world stage, but we have to believe that we can take on the challenge with one of the best teams in the world.”
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Ben Kule is a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/FIFA-World-Cup
