Women's World Cup: England 1-0 Haiti - Lionesses rusty and predictable but get job done

England goalkeeper Mary Earps made immoderate important saves successful their constrictive triumph implicit Haiti

It whitethorn not person been a thrilling performance, but England did what they needed to bash successful their opening Women's World Cup crippled against Haiti - win.

Meanwhile Haiti, who are ranked 49 places beneath the Lionesses, proved wherefore they are successful Australia among the 32 champion teams successful the satellite with a fearless show that tested Sarina Wiegman's side.

But a punishment from Georgia Stanway was capable to springiness England a important 3 points - and it was conscionable the 3rd clip successful six World Cup appearances they person won their opening match.

"It's truthful important to triumph your archetypal crippled successful a tournament," said Stanway. "It's been a agelong build-up to contiguous and we're benignant of blessed to conscionable get implicit the line.

"Haiti caused america problems, were a menace connected the counter-attack, were fast, physical, and they challenged america successful areas that we astir apt didn't expect."

Goalkeeper Mary Earps was called into enactment twice, tipping Melchie Dumornay's onslaught implicit the barroom earlier pushing distant Roseline Eloissaint's goal-bound effort.

"[The win] puts america successful a bully place," said Earps. "But for definite there's plentifulness we request to reappraisal and bespeak connected due to the fact that we person acceptable ourselves a higher modular than that."

• Match report: England triumph aft pugnacious Haiti test
• Go present for each the latest from the Women's World Cup
• Relive England's triumph implicit Haiti and work reaction

Rusty England uncovering their feet

A lengthy build-up to the tourney - which kicked disconnected 8 weeks aft the Women's Super League ended - arsenic good arsenic uncertainty from Wiegman connected her champion XI and injuries to cardinal players, were each contributing factors successful England's underwhelming performance.

Alessia Russo, fixed the motion up of Rachel Daly successful attack, worked tirelessly but was often isolated.

Captain Millie Bright played the afloat 90 minutes contempt not having featured since March aft having genu surgery, and looked understandably rusty.

And England were sloppy successful possession, allowing Haiti to capitalise connected the counter-attack with the unsafe gait of Dumornay and Batcheba Louis.

"I deliberation it takes a small spot to find your feet," said Stanway. "Coming into a large tourney the unit is precocious and the build-up is truthful long. It's been a agelong process."

Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It was truly mediocre from England. [They were] sloppy successful possession, taking excessively agelong to play the walk and past getting caught.

"I didn't expect it to beryllium that close. I thought it would beryllium competitory but surely not for that long. I was truly impressed with Haiti."

Wiegman said Haiti's counter-attack made it "pretty hard for us" but she saw improvements successful the 2nd half.

"We wanted to beryllium connected the shot each the clip and we were a lot. We created chances but besides mislaid balls," the manager added.

'Predictable attacking play'

Alessia Russo had 5 shots connected people during her 76 minutes connected the transportation - the astir by an England subordinate connected grounds astatine the Women's World Cup

England had 11 shots connected people against Haiti - their astir connected grounds astatine the World Cup - but person present failed to people successful 337 minutes of unfastened play.

Ex-England guardant Eniola Aluko told ITV determination was "predictability" to their attacking play, which consisted of "a batch of crosses" from wingers Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly.

"In the archetypal fractional Russo was playing, but if that is the attack and the signifier of play, should it beryllium Rachel Daly up determination instead? She is stronger successful the air," added Aluko.

"If you privation to beryllium little predictable, you request much creativity, particularly successful the fig 10 role. Ella Toone looked a spot disconnected. Lauren James is simply a spot much creative, offers much question and interchanging of positions."

Wiegman introduced James and Daly aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional and England could person extended their pb with Kelly, Stanway and Daly each having attempts, but Haiti besides grew successful assurance and tested Earps.

England's backmost 4 of Lucy Bronze, Bright, Alex Greenwood and Jess Carter person not played unneurotic often and it was wide they request clip to go amended connected.

'There are positives to instrumentality from today'

But contempt wide teething problems and a increasing interest for England's deficiency of ruthlessness successful beforehand of goal, they person inactive mislaid conscionable erstwhile nether Wiegman successful 33 games.

It is besides worthy remembering they underwhelmed successful their opening lucifer of Euro 2022 earlier responding with an 8-0 thrashing of Norway successful their 2nd radical crippled and going connected to triumph the tournament.

"England person got a cleanable sheet. Mary Earps made immoderate fantastic saves and dealt with the transitions and they managed to travel done it," erstwhile England midfielder Karen Carney told ITV.

"Tournament shot is astir gathering momentum, getting points connected the committee and moving forward. There are decidedly immoderate positives to instrumentality from today."

Wiegman's demeanour remained chill arsenic she acknowledged a adust play successful goalscoring but highlighted intelligibly which areas England request to amended earlier their 2nd radical crippled against Denmark, who began with a triumph implicit China.

"Ruthlessness... what does that mean?" said Wiegman. "Sometimes it means the connections with the cross, the timing of the cross, wherever the transverse ends successful the punishment container and small things similar that.

"We were precise adjacent to scoring a extremity but their defence was pugnacious too. We volition support trying and moving connected it, starting again tomorrow."