This was not the official victory England had wanted. It was not the powerful performance many expected. It was a narrow, nervous and tightly contested win against a Haiti side 49 places below them. But it was a win and that’s what matters.
Opening World Cup matches, at least for England, rarely produces big scores. It was a familiar story in 2019 when Phil Neville’s team only just beat Scotland 2-1.
It didn’t help that the Lionesses came into this game after three games without a goal. Haiti manager Nicolas Delepine had suggested they had ‘a problem with the finish’ and when Georgia Stanway’s penalty was saved in the 28th minute by his 1.75m goalkeeper Kerly Theus, there was concern that he could have a point.
Fortunately for England and Stanway, Theus had jumped off her line and the penalty was recaptured – with the midfielder converting on the second try. England just about managed to finish the second half.
“We played a very difficult game,” England coach Sarina Wiegman said. “We had a lot of possession, but they were very quick. We created chances, but lost the ball at unexpected moments.’
Georgia Stanway (left) scored the only goal in England’s 1-0 win over Haiti on Saturday
England’s number 8 came to the spot – having missed her first attempt before the referee ordered the ball re-taken – and fired the ball into the goal.
It was an unconvincing victory for the Lionesses, who were narrowly held by Haiti
Haiti were dangerous on the counter-attack, with Melchie Dumornay pulling the strings in midfield. What they lacked was a clinical presence up front, but they showed enough to suggest they could cause problems for Denmark and China.
Wiegman’s biggest selection dilemma was who should start at the front: Alessia Russo or Rachel Daly. She went with Russo but it was a frustrating night for the Arsenal striker. England had 21 shots, 11 of which were on target, but have now gone four games without a goal from open play.
When asked what her team was missing in the attack, Wiegman said, “I would say ruthlessness. Sometimes the connections with the cross, the timing of the cross, where the cross ends in the penalty area, then the connection in front of goal.
“We came very close to a goal a few times, but their defense was also tough. We need to finish our chances and be a little better at our possession game, a little faster. We [will] keep trying and working on it’
England were also unconvincing defensively, with their returning captain Millie Bright looking rusty in particular. The Lionesses captain entered her first competitive game in four months after undergoing knee surgery and struggled with the pace of the game.
In the first minute, she played a pass straight into the feet of Haiti’s captain Nerilia Mondesir, who broke forward to force a corner – which England had only just dealt with. Bright was then caught out again when Roselord Borgella ran in from behind, but the winger was only able to fire wide from a tight angle.
Suddenly, the absence of England’s injured Euros stars – Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby – felt crucial.
The Lionesses’ pass was sloppy, but they eventually settled down and looked set to be awarded a penalty in the 18th minute after replays showed Dayana Pierre-Louis had raked her studs past Chloe Kelly’s leg.
Stanway celebrated her goal in front of a packed crowd at Suncorp Stadium
Sarina Wiegman had hoped for a stronger performance from her side in their opening match
Referee Emikar Calderas went to the monitor but decided that Russo had committed a foul in the build-up. Pierre-Louis was booked for her tackle on Kelly, although in reality she was lucky not to have been sent off.
But the VAR drama was far from over. An England corner kick was swung towards the back post and Batcheba Louis, for reasons only she will know, jumped with both hands in the air – as if trying to catch the ball. It skimmed over her fingertips and this time the ref pointed to the spot after a VAR review.
In six of the seven games prior to England’s, a penalty had been awarded but only two takers had scored. Stanway had never missed from the spot at international level, but as the midfielder stepped forward, Theus sprang to the right to push the ball around the post.
Haiti’s celebrations were cut short when replays showed Theus had clearly gone off the rails. A rematch was ordered and Stanway resigned. She went the same way, but this time hard and low. With Theus nailed to the ground, the net bulged. England had got off the ground, but they continued to look vulnerable.
Dumornay almost found the equalizer early in the second half. Her fierce long shot was tipped into the air by Mary Earps before clearing the ball.
Russo then had two chances to double England’s lead, but both attempts were saved by Theus. The goalkeeper continued to frustrate the striker and made a brilliant leap to tip her header over the crossbar just after the hour mark.
Theus watched as Stanway prepared to take a kick at second in minutes
As a result, England are top of Group D ahead of the China-Denmark game later in the day
A defining moment came in the 80th minute when Mondesir cut open England’s defense to put Roseline Eloissint on target, but Earps put out a foot to make a huge save.
There was visible relief on Wiegman’s face when the final whistle blew. It was not convincing, but neither was the Lionesses’ victory over Austria last year in their first match at the European Championship.
That narrow 1-0 win was followed by an unexpected 8-0 thrashing over Norway. Many had thought this would be their toughest game in the group and the same is expected for the second game against Denmark next week.
A well-known song played through the loudspeakers all the time, Sweet Caroline – the theme song of the triumph of the European Championship in England.
If they want to hear that song played after the final in Sydney on August 20, they have work to do.