- A women’s soccer match in New Zealand had to be suspended on Sunday
- It occurred after the captain’s dog invaded the playing field and did not want to leave
- The players were seen crouching down to try to convince the puppy to come to them.
A strange moment unfolded in the Women’s A-League on Sunday afternoon during Wellington Phoenix’s 1-0 loss to Canberra United.
The home team had trailed 1-0 inside the first 11 minutes of the match, and Michelle Heyman scored her 100th goal for the club to give United the lead at Porirua Park in New Zealand.
But perhaps hoping to inspire a Phoenix comeback, Annalie Longo’s puppy, Tiger, bounded onto the field, before running around both groups of players.
The dog was cheered by fans inside the stadium, who began chanting: “Who let the dogs out?”
Players from both teams tried to grab the elusive cub, but Tiger managed to evade capture.
The dog burst onto the playing field and began running around the players on both sides.
Phoenix team members crouched on the ground as fans in the crowd began chanting ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’
The puppy eventually ran to his owner Annalie Longo, who patted the dog, named Tiger.
‘There’s a dog in the field!’ commentator Jason Pine had said.
‘You don’t see that often, or even less so at this level!
“I think it might be Annalie Longo’s own dog… Maybe I need to go look for her.”
Pine was left hysterical as players on both sides attempted to kneel and coax the dog to come to them.
With Longo crouched low to the ground, the pup finally saw his owner and ran towards the New Zealand international.
The two hugged in an emotional moment on the pitch, which received a standing ovation from the fans in the stands.
A loud cheer was heard among the fans as Longo hugged the dog before picking up Tiger and escorting his dog off the field.
He handed the puppy to a staff member on the sideline, who took it away.
Longo subsequently grabbed Tiger and proceeded to carry the puppy off the field before handing him to what appeared to be a member of the team’s coaching staff.
The appearance of the puppy perhaps influenced the Phoenix, who came out with their boots on in the second half, finishing with 19 shots.
But they couldn’t waste their chances, with Heyman’s goal making the difference.
The result also means Wellington has lost its first two games at the start of the new A-League season.
While they sit in second-to-last place, Canberra have risen to second in the league after back-to-back wins at the start of the 2024-25 campaign.