Key events
Second half kick-off!
Haiti need a miracle. Can they produce one? Can China? It doesn’t look very likely.
A bit of half-time reading for you. See you in a few minutes for the second half:
Half-time! Haiti 0-1 Denmark
Harder’s confident penalty is the difference between the teams in Perth.
Meanwhile … England now lead China 4-0:
England and Denmark are heading into the last 16, unless something astonishing happens …
45 min + 5: Kuhl tries to make inroads into the Haiti half. She is crowded out, and Haiti break quickly through Mondesir. Dumornay is lurking but Mondesir’s attempted cross is deflected out for a corner.
45 min + 2: Dumornay gets on the ball in the Denmark area, swivels and hits a shot from an angle, but it’s blocked.
45 min: We’ll have five minutes added on at the end of the first half.
Disallowed goal for Denmark!
Harder sweeps in a looping cross with authority from around the penalty spot. A sweet strike, but she’s ruled offside, and I think she knew she would be …
44 min: Score update: China 0-3 England. The Lionesses are waltzing into the last 16.
43 min: Veje and Kuhl link up in midfield as Denmark build towards the Haiti goal. Thomsen pulls off a lovely nutmeg as she cuts in from the right wing, but is eventually crowded out, and Haiti can clear.
40 min: With five minutes remaining in the half, there is the first noticeable drop in the pace of the game. Denmark continue to have the majority of possession. Haiti, who have now conceded a penalty in all their group matches, continue to defend with spirit. But they need to find a cutting edge at the other end if they are going to avoid a group-stage exit.
35 min: The Haiti centre-back Supris, who has defended impressively, clears her lines again, and Denmark have a throw-in near halfway.
Given England’s second goal against China, the possibility of each and every match in this group finishing 1-0 has now disappeared. Sorry to all the statisticians and pub-quizzers.
32 min: The tempo remains high in what has been a highly engaging encounter. Now Harder gets Denmark on the front foot again. She bears down on the Haiti penalty area and strikes a shot from 20 yards or so. It’s low and slightly deflected, and Theus is able to get down and save comfortably.
30 min: Again, Haiti demonstrate that they do not intend to exit this tournament without a fight. Eloissaint breaks down the right wing, with teammates in the middle. She tries a cross-shot that flies out for a goal kick. Denmark have been put on the back foot more frequently in the previous 10 minutes or so.
28 min: Haiti still carry plenty of threat in attack. Dumornay surges down the left and slides a smart pass through for Mondesir, who gets an effort away, but it’s lacking in power and Christensen saves.
26 min: England now lead China 2-0, Lauren Hemp with the second goal. Sarah Rendell has the latest here:
25 min: As it stands, then, England and Denmark will progress to the last 16 from Group D.
22 min: On commentary for ITV4, Pien Meulensteen informs us that was the 100th goal of this Women’s World Cup. Good stat.
It’s Harder’s first goal of the tournament, and she has been instrumental in all Denmark’s best work.
Goal! 21 min: Haiti 0-1 Denmark (Harder pen)
A world-class penalty from Harder: she steps up, waits for Theus to move, and confidently strikes the ball in the bottom corner, away from the helpless goalkeeper.
Penalty to Denmark!
Pierre-Louis is penalised for handball after an attempted pass by Vangsgaard! The ball pops up and clearly hits the defender’s hand. The referee makes the decision swiftly and there are few arguments from Pierre-Louis or any of her teammates.
19 min: Dumornay shows a touch of class by trying a raking diagonal ball from central midfield for Eloissaint. It’s narrowly intercepted.
17 min: Dumornay tries to bring the ball out into midfield, but is unceremoniously tackled. That leads to a sight of goal for Holmgaard, from outside the area. She cracks a shot that goes over the target.
15 min: Harder does well again in possession for Denmark, releasing Sorensen down the right wing. She crosses but the ball skews out for a goal kick to Haiti.
13 min: Thomsen cracks a good cross over from the right, Vangsgaard tries to get on the end of it again, but some desperate defending from Surpris keeps Denmark out again. This is a lively encounter so far, and you can certainly tell that both teams are fighting for a place in the last 16.
11 min: Mondesir, again, causes problems down the right wing for Haiti. She tries to pick out a careful cut-back towards the penalty spot but the Danish defence is able to intercept.
9 min: Haiti have reset after conceding what proved to be a disallowed goal, and kept Denmark quiet. Now Mondesir makes a break down the right wing for Haiti, and crosses looking for Dumornay, but Denmark are able to clear.
7 min: The pattern for the match seems to be set. Haiti have defended stoutly in both their matches in the group, and it looks as if they will be ceding possession and soaking up pressure today, too.
England have taken the lead against China, through Alessia Russo:
3 min: Disallowed goal for Denmark!
That didn’t take long. Haiti cannot clear the corner, Theus makes one good save but Boye is on hand to stroke in the rebound. There is a VAR check … and Boye is ruled offside.
2 min: Harder gets involved early for Denmark, helping to build their first attack down the left wing. But the ball ends up with the Haiti keeper, Theus.
Denmark come again, and an excellent ball across from the right wing is nearly turned in by Vansgaard. The Danes have an early corner.
First half kick-off!
Here we go.
Mondesir and Harder, the two captains, shake hands and swap flags. We’re nearly ready to go.
Here come the players, walking out on to the pitch in Perth. Time for the anthems. Can Haiti find a way through to the last 16, against the odds?
Haiti v Denmark teams
Reports in recent days suggested that Melchie Dumornay may start today’s match on the bench, due to muscle pain, but she takes her place in Haiti’s starting lineup. There are three changes in all for Haiti: Surpris, Dumornay and Eloissaint all come into what should be a 4-4-2 formation.
Two changes for Denmark, both up front, with Nicoline Sorensen and Amalie Vangsgaard coming in to the starting team in a 4-3-3.
Haiti (4-4-2): Theus, Surpris, Kethna Louis, Tabita Joseph, Petit-Frere, Pierre-Louis, Jeudy, Dumornay, Batcheba Louis, Mondesir, Eloissaint. Substitutes: Ambroise, Limage, Moryl, Etienne, Esthericove Joseph, Darlina Joseph, Pierre-Jerome, Shwendesky Joseph, Ganthier, Mathurin, Borgella, Larco.
Denmark (4-3-3): Christensen, Thomsen, Sevecke, Veje, Sorensen, Boye, Holmgaard, Kuhl, Harder, Madsen, Vangsgaard. Substitutes: Larsen, Hasbo, Ballisager, Troelsgaard, Snerle, Thrige, Thogersen, Gevitz, Bruun, Jensen, Svava, Bay.
Referee: Hyeon-Jeong Oh (South Korea)
It now being August, football’s transfer-rumours frenzy continues to intensify.
Tuesday’s Rumour Mill is here:
Podcast, news, and an interview with England’s Georgia Stanway: some of our latest content from the tournament here:
Sarah Rendell is live-blogging the other concluding match in Group D, the small matter of China v England, right here:
While we’re waiting for Haiti v Denmark to kick off/Magnum P.I. to finish on ITV4, why not read this morning’s match reports from the Women’s World Cup:
Preamble
The good news for all four teams in Group D is that they have a chance of progress to the last 16. The bad news for Haiti, ranked 53rd in the world and with two defeats from two, is that they must beat Denmark (ranked 18th) today to give themselves any hope.
Due to the fact that every match in this group has finished 1-0, no team’s goal difference has taken a battering, so it’s all to play for. Haiti must win while hoping China lose to England. Victory for Denmark would ensure their progress provided England win – but if Denmark and China both get three points today it will come down to goal difference and then goals scored, as those two nations have identical records in the group thus far.
Haiti proved to be resolute opponents for England and China, so this is far from a foregone conclusion, and who knows? The permutations may just get complicated.
Kick off: 12pm UK time
