ENGLAND coach Sarina Wiegman says her squad are missing the ruthlessness needed to score goals, a troubling tendency that reared its ugly head in a 1-0 victory over minnows Haiti at the Women’s World Cup yesterday in a Group D clash in Brisbane, Australia.
Georgia Stanway’s penalty kick was the game’s only goal, stretching the Lionesses’ lack of a goal from open play to more than three games.
Haiti coach Nicolas Delepine had said a day earlier when asked about England’s weakness that they struggled in front of goal. There was no argument from Wiegman.
“I would say ruthlessness,” Wiegman told a Press conference. “Well, it’s easy to say, ruthlessness.
“Sometimes it’s the connection with the cross, the timing of the cross, where the cross actually ends in the penalty box, then the connection in front of the goal, little things like that, that at the end you hope goes in.”
In the other Group D match, Amalie Vangsgaard scored in the 89th minute, giving Denmark a 1-0 win against China in its first Women’s World Cup match since 2007 in Perth, Australia.
The two teams played a thriller, despite the lack of scoring. Vangsgaard’s goal came on a header that goalkeeper Huan Xu couldn’t reach before the ball landed in the corner of the goal.
The score came on Denmark’s first shot on target in the match. The Danes held possession of the ball for 56 per cent of the time.
England misfired numerous times yesterday, denied both by Haiti’s keeper Kerly Theus and their own timing and aim.
“We were very close a couple of times to scoring a goal and then of course, their defence was tough too,” Wiegman said. “So, we just keep trying, keep working on it.”
Haiti were a revelation in front of largely pro-England crowd of 44,369, playing far better than their 53rd ranking. They gave England fits all night, particularly Melchie Dumornay, a 19-year-old who plays for Lyon.
Dumornay fired a fierce right-footed shot that Mary Earps was forced to save early in the second half, and attempted a bicycle kick that, had it hit its mark, would surely have been a stunning finish.
“I can say if we do that against England we can do anything against anyone,” Dumornay told reporters.
Wiegman credited Haiti, making their World Cup debut, with playing a “very good game, too”.
“It’s so important when you get going in the tournament,” the midfielder said. “It’s been a long buildup to today and I think we’re kind of happy to just get over the line.
“They caused us problems, they were threatening on the counter-attack, they were fast and they were physical. And, yeah, they challenged us in areas that we probably didn’t really expect.”
The Lionesses play Denmark on Friday, then China on August 1.
Meanwhile, in Group C play in Hamilton, New Zealand, Japan shut out Zambia, making its Women’s World Cup debut, 5-0.
Hinata Miyazawa scored twice for the experienced Japanese, who won the 2011 World Cup and were runners-up in 2015.
Miyazawa started the scoring in the 43rd minute, and Japan kept the pressure on Zambia after the half. Mina Tanaka added a goal in the 55th minute before Miyazawa scored again 16 minutes later.
Jun Endo and Riko Ueki added goals for Japan. Ueki’s score came following a penalty in stoppage time after Zambia goalkeeper Catherine Musonda was sent off for two yellow cards and backup Eunice Sakala entered the game.
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