England 1-0 Haiti (22 Jul, 2023) Game Analysis – ESPN

Georgia Stanway made positive her retaken penalty counted to provide England a 1-0 victory over debutants Haiti in a dramatic Women’s World Cup opener for each groups on Saturday at Lang Park in Brisbane.

Stanway stepped as much as the penalty spot twice after Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus moved off her line early in saving the Bayern Munich midfielder’s first try, awarded after a handball.

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Stanway shrugged off the miss, tucking her second into the far nook to the delight of the largely pro-England crowd — and coach Sarina Wiegman, who pumped a fist in celebration. All eight World Cup video games to date have featured penalties.

Sarina Wiegman’s England are ranked fourth — 49 spots above fledgling Haiti — and are thought-about among the many World Cup favourites because the reigning European champions.

“Crucial factor to return out of it’s the three factors,” Stanway advised reporters after the ultimate whistle.

“It is so necessary to win your first sport, going right into a event. It has been an extended build-up to right now, and I feel we’re form of joyful to simply recover from the road.”

England virtually had a penalty earlier within the sport, when Chloe Kelly was taken down within the field by Dayana Pierre-Louis — TV cameras exhibiting what seemed like a raking stud mark down her shin. VAR, nonetheless, noticed Alessia Russo foul an opponent within the build-up.

Stanway’s penalty ended a streak of England misses from the spot at World Cups, together with two from Nikita Parris and one from Steph Houghton on the 2019 event, the place they completed fourth.

England’s greatest end in 5 earlier appearances within the international showcase was a 3rd positioned end in 2015.

England had quite a few glorious scoring probabilities together with Lauren Hemp‘s header late within the first half that sailed simply large of the put up.

The European champions dominated the second half, however had been both thwarted by the five-foot-four Theus — who leapt excessive to tip a Russo header over the bar — or their very own profligacy, akin to captain Millie Bright‘s shot that flew nicely over the bar.

Nevertheless, it was goalkeeper Mary Earps who ensured the win when she made an outstanding late save, stretching to get a toe on a shot by Roseline Eloissaint.

“It was a really arduous sport, I am very pleased with the three factors,” Wiegman advised ITV.

“They had been very unpredictable, very transitional… And we struggled with that. We need to end our probabilities. We did it with the penalty which was good as a result of the win is a very powerful factor.”

England subsequent face Denmark on July 28 and China on Aug. 1. Haiti play China on July 28.