Would Millie Bright be fit enough? Could Alessia Russo lead the line effectively? Who would play at left-back? Would Ella Toone be the right player to fill a Fran Kirby-shaped hole?
There were a lot of question marks over Sarina Wiegman’s England going into the World Cup and despite a win over Haiti earned via Georgia Stanway’s retaken penalty few were answered.
The hope will be that the European champions’ incoherent performance was just the players shaking off the rust after a lengthy post-season. Ultimately, the team earned three points and got the job done, much as they did against Austria to open the Euros last year; a laboured performance but a 1-0 victory enough to settle any nerves as they marched to a first major tournament title.
However, there were fewer questions then and they were playing a side that are ranked 18th in the world. Haiti, although impressive here, are 53rd in the Fifa rankings.
There was relief for England on the eve of the opening game with the news that Bright, their captain, was fit to start. However, the Chelsea centre-back has not played since March because of a knee injury, bar an unknown number of minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Canada on the Sunshine Coast, and it showed.
She epitomised England’s rustiness and struggled against the 19-year-old Melchie Dumornay who displayed all the guile and quality that has meant she has been snapped up by Lyon.
Alex Greenwood was preferred at left-back, with Jess Carter slotting in alongside her Chelsea teammate Bright as the left centre-back. The cohesiveness that had been a big concern was put to the test against a Haitian attack that were dangerous on the break.
Wiegman had warned of the opposition’s threat and within minutes the Lionesses were on the back foot in front of a mainly England-supporting crowd, with Nérilia Mondésir dispossessing Bright and Dumornay forcing a corner shortly afterwards.
Russo was picked to lead the line for England ahead of Rachel Daly and Bethany England. Lauren James was kept out of the starting XI by Toone and Chloe Kelly, in the No 10 and wide-right position respectively.
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How well England would cope playing through the middle without Leah Williamson there to play out from the back and the magician Kirby to link the midfield and forward line had been another talking point before the tournament. The answer? Not that well. Toone struggled, forced out to the left all too often as Haiti’s midfield pressed and harried efficiently, tightly marking the deeper lying Keira Walsh, searching for the opportunity to release a player on the break.
In the 17th minute, there was a VAR review of a possible penalty after Dayana Pierre-Louis raked her studs firmly down Kelly’s leg at the byline, but it was preceded by a foul on Tabita Joseph by Russo. Somehow, Pierre-Louis escaped with a yellow card.
Less than 10 minutes after the first VAR penalty check, the referee, Emikar Calderas, had a look at a challenge between Lucy Bronze and Batcheba Louis for another. Louis leaped with both hands in the air as if she were playing volleyball, batting the ball away from Bronze’s head, and this time the review resulted in a penalty.
Kerly Théus read Stanway’s spot-kick well and dived to her right, pushing it aside and prompting wild celebrations from the players in red. But the joy was short lived, with Théus penalised for coming off her line too soon and the penalty had to be retaken. Théus looked defeated before Stanway coolly rolled the ball in to the keeper’s right.
“The first penalty was an unbelievable save but she saved it because she was a little bit off the line, which I was fortunate about but I tried to stick to my process, do exactly what I usually do,” said Stanway.
It was a desperately needed breakthrough, but England were still without a goal from open play since Toone’s against Brazil in the Finalissima in April. They created chances but could not find the net, held off by a combination of poor finishing and the fine form of Théus, who regrouped after the penalty and twice saved energetically from Russo in the second half.
At the hour mark, James replaced Lauren Hemp, who had swapped flanks with Kelly at the break and while the game opened up Haiti carved open England at the back. Dumornay forced a smart save from Mary Earps and the substitute Roseline Éloissaint did the same shortly after coming on, Earps saving with her foot after the forward had been put clean through.
Daly replaced Russo but failed to make a significant impact and England’s forwards continue to struggle for goals
Up next is a Denmark side built around a familiar face, the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, who joined Bayern Munich shortly before the World Cup. As Bright and Carter will know, the Danish forward will be far less forgiving against England’s disjointed back line given the opportunity.
It was job done, but it was not pretty and Wiegman’s drawing board will need dusting off if they are to make a statement in the group stage.
