In a highly anticipated matchup, England faced Haiti in their Women’s World Cup 2023 opener, and it was Georgia Stanway’s penalty that ultimately sealed a 1-0 victory for the Lionesses.
The game took place at the Brisbane Stadium, and like many other matches in the tournament, it featured a crucial penalty.
The turning point of the game came when Batcheba Louis from Haiti was penalized for a handball in the box, leading to a penalty kick for England. Stanway initially saw her effort saved, but encroachment from Kerly Theus, the Haitian goalkeeper, granted her a second chance.
Stanway seized the opportunity and confidently drove her spot kick low into the bottom corner, securing the vital goal for England.
Haiti started the game with promise, showing glimpses of their potential on the counter-attack. Roselord Borgella’s breakaway attempt provided a warning shot for England, but her low strike missed the target.
However, Haiti’s hopes were dashed when Louis was penalized for a handball in the box, continuing the trend of penalty awards in the tournament’s early matches.
Alessia Russo, the Arsenal summer signing, led England’s search for a second goal after the restart. Russo was presented with an early opportunity to open the scoring, but she couldn’t get past the determined Theus, who made multiple crucial saves.
Despite Haiti’s resilience, they couldn’t find a breakthrough themselves, with Melchie Dumonay and Roseline Eloissaint unable to beat Mary Earps in the England goal.
Kerly Theus put on a heroic performance in front of the Haitian goal, denying Russo on three separate occasions and also keeping out a downward header from Rachel Daly, who came on as a substitute. Her shot-stopping prowess kept Haiti in contention, frustrating England’s attempts to secure a more comfortable lead.
In the final stages of the game, Haiti continued to threaten, with Eloissaint going one-on-one with Earps in a dangerous situation. However, Earps remained composed and made a crucial save, ensuring England secured a narrow victory to kick off their World Cup campaign with maximum points.
The Lionesses will now shift their focus to their upcoming match against Denmark, while Haiti will be aiming to register their first win when they face China in Adelaide.