All Whites draw with Norway after Chris Wood hits crossbar

Wednesday, 15 October 2025

At Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo: Norway 1 (Antonio Nusa 62’) All Whites 1 (Finn Surman 45’+1) HT: 0-1

A Chris Wood shot that hit the crossbar and a free header the English Premier League striker sent wide early in the second half will haunt the All Whites after they drew 1-1 with Norway at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ time).

It was the first time world No 31 Norway had failed to win a match in just over a year and the result was nevertheless a positive step forward for the world No 83 All Whites on the road to next year’s FIFA World Cup in North America.

Michael Boxall and Finn Surman were immense in the centre of defence for the second match in a row, after last week’s 1-0 loss to Poland in Chorzów, and also combined to give New Zealand the lead in first-half stoppage time.

Dead-ball specialist Francis de Vries curled a ball from the middle of the field towards the back post, where senior centre back Boxall sent a diving header across the face of goal.

Ryan Thomas couldn’t connect with the ball in the middle of the box, but younger centre back Surman got a foot to it before he crashed into the frame of the goal.

Norway equalised just after the hour mark, when halftime substitute Antonio Nusa curled a first-time shot past Alex Paulsen, whose long goal kick following a fine one-handed save and an off-target follow-up was returned in the space of 13 seconds and four passes.

The leveller came after Wood hit the crossbar three minutes into the second half, running onto a curled ball from de Vries down the left. He then sent a free header wide soon after and also forced a save after receiving another ball from de Vries before leaving the fray just prior to Norway’s response after feeling tightness in his knee, an injury concern coach Darren Bazeley described as “nothing too bad” afterwards.

“It was a pretty cool moment,“ Surman said of scoring. ”I was in a bit of pain, running into the post and that, but it was a cool moment scoring for my country.

“It was a shame we couldn't keep it 1-0 or score more goals and win the game, but 1-1 is not a bad result against Norway.”

The hosts made seven changes to the starting XI from their 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over Israel at the weekend, with star Manchester City striker Erling Haaland one of several first-choice players released back to their clubs. Nusa was among those who dropped out initially and the impact he and other substitutes made was notable.

Bazeley made two changes to the starting XI from the loss to Poland, bringing Wood in for Ben Waine up top and Ben Old for Callum McCowatt in the attacking trio behind him.

Matt Garbett moved from the left to the centre of that trio, while Sarpreet Singh moved from the centre to the right.

The All Whites thought they had taken the lead in the 13th minute, when Tim Payne curled in a free kick from the left to the back post, where Wood headed it back across goal and Marko Stamenić poked home after an intervention by Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland.

While it was a preview of what was to come later in the half, Stamenić was flagged as being offside when Payne's initial delivery came in, a call that was confirmed by the video assistant referee.

It took more than 20 minutes for Norway to fire a shot, but Boxall and Surman were on hand when they did. The youngster first blocked Aron Dønnum in the 22nd minute, while his senior partner got in front of a shot from Oscar Bobb that followed a cutback by Marcus Holmgren Pedersen a minute later, after Stamenić lost the ball in midfield.

After Sarpreet Singh had a tame effort from distance easily gathered by Nyland, Jørgen Strand Larsen sent a header wide to the left at the other end, when he got on the end of a Patrick Berg free kick.

All Whites goalkeeper Alex Paulsen was then called on to tip a fierce Dønnum shot over the bar, though there was a chance it was heading high anyway.

Surman's goal came after Stamenić and Thomas put pressure on Dønnum in the middle of the field. After going down, he grabbed for the ball thinking he had won a free kick, only for referee Horațiu Feșnic to therefore award one the other way for handball, after correctly judging there to have been no foul initially.

Norway came on strong after Wood’s first two misses, with Andreas Schjelderup and Nusa both forcing interventions from Surman.

De Vries set up Wood for another shot from the left in the 56th minute, but Nusa and Schjelderup kept coming at the other end, the latter forcing Paulsen to make a fine one-handed saved in the 61st minute after being played in by Thelo Aasgaard.

After a brief stoppage while Wood left the field – having received treatment for a sore knee – and was replaced by Waine, Paulsen restarted play and Norway were level before the All Whites knew what had hit them.

The All Whites went close to regaining the lead in the 78th minute when a cross from Payne on the right was allowed to bounce through to Old, whose diving header was blocked by Nyland.

Norway went close to pulling in front when David Møller Wolfe sent a shot across goal from the left in the 80th minute, then went close again in the 85th when Sander Berge hit the left post, shortly after Paulsen saved a shot from Sebastian Sebulonsen.

The All Whites’ last win over a European nation remains the 1-0 win over Serbia (ranked 15th in the world at the time) they produced in May 2010. Their only other win against European opposition was a 3-1 win over Georgia (ranked 101st) in May 2006.

Wood joined Ivan Vicelich as the All Whites’ most-capped player as he made his 88th senior international appearance.

The All Whites are next in action in November, playing Colombia and Ecuador in the United States.