Georgia Stanway made sure her retaken penalty counted to give England a 1-0 victory over debutants Haiti in a dramatic Women’s World Cup opener for both teams on Saturday at Lang Park in Brisbane.
Stanway stepped up to the penalty spot twice after Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus moved off her line early in saving the Bayern Munich midfielder’s first attempt, awarded after a handball.
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Stanway shrugged off the miss, tucking her second into the far corner to the delight of the largely pro-England crowd. All eight World Cup games so far have featured penalties.
Sarina Wiegman’s England are ranked fourth — 49 spots above fledgling Haiti — and are considered among the World Cup favourites as the reigning European champions. They next face Denmark on July 28 and China on Aug. 1. Haiti play China on July 28.