In the end, a repeated penalty actually decided this game between European champions England and World Cup debutants Haiti. After a corner, defender Batcheba Louis briefly mixed up the sport and stretched out her hands to the ball as she jumped up, like in volleyball. After video evidence, there were penalties for England. Georgia Stanway went left, the side that goalkeeper Kerly Théus had anticipated. She blocked the ball, the Haitians celebrated the parade like a goal. But the joy didn’t last long, Théus had left the line too early and the penalty had to be repeated. And this time the English celebrated in front of 44,369 spectators in Brisbane, this time the ball was in it.
After the USA’s 3-0 win over Vietnam in the morning in New Zealand, it’s now possible to answer how the next title candidate started the tournament. The English women have also belonged to this group in the past, but this time the expectations are different, higher, new. This side withstood the pressure to play a European Championship on home soil last summer – and won the first English national team title since the men’s 1966. Now something similar is expected far away.
But the requirements for this tournament are different. With captain Leah Williamson, European Championship top scorer Beth Mead and attacking midfielder Fran Kirby, three top performers are injured. Ellen White and Jill Scott have also resigned. And like various national teams, the “Lionesses” are also at odds with their association. They are fighting for performance-related bonuses and are also questioning the strategy that from mid-June individual sponsors were no longer allowed to attend appointments such as photo shoots in person and from July 5 they were no longer allowed to advertise their own campaigns on social media. The use of their social media accounts was also to be severely restricted, but this was then relaxed.
Ahead of the World Cup, England’s internationals release a joint statement
It was all about the bonus: The world association Fifa had promised an amount of 30,000 US dollars per player for participating in the World Cup and correspondingly more for reaching each subsequent round. As much as never before. For the English players, that was not an argument not to get a bonus for success from their own association. Ahead of the tournament, they suspended discussions with the FA for the time being. But they are not over.
“Although we are only players, we are pushing for change. We want women’s football to progress,” said Lucy Bronze. “And not only for ourselves, but also for the future, long after I’ve stopped.” In a statement, the players said the team raised the issue with the FA last year, hoping the debate would be settled before the World Cup. “We all feel a very strong responsibility together to continue developing the game,” the letter reads. In her view, a transparent, long-term plan with input from the players is “the key to the growth of women’s football in England”. Now every tackle, every pass and every goal in this tournament will contribute to the work off the pitch.
Full focus on the sporty. But the European champions found it surprisingly difficult at the start against the 53rd in the world rankings. Coach Sarina Wiegman described Haiti as an athletic and unpredictable opponent. In any case, the Haitians didn’t play as defensively as the English women might have expected, but played courageously forwards. Melchie Dumornay, who will play for eight-time Champions League winners Olympique Lyon from next season, created three chances. The Haitians made the most of what little possession they had, but were thwarted by England goalkeeper Mary Earps and a lack of precision.
The game could have turned in the direction of the English women in the 18th minute. But because Alessia Russo had committed a foul, there was no penalty for the foul on teammate Chloe Kelly that followed immediately afterwards. The English women looked increasingly frustrated with the effort this game cost them. Théus bravely prevented one deal after another. In the 76th minute Wiegman tried to bring more danger: Rachel Daly entered the field, who scored 22 times for Aston Villa last season. But even she changed little. The European champions now have six days to get into the form that is expected of them. Next opponent is Denmark.
