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We provide the England player ratings after the Lionesses got their Women’s World Cup campaign off to a victorious start.
England got their 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign off to a start on Saturday morning with victory over Haiti. The Lionesses were 1-0 victors over the Haitians in the opening match of Group D.
It was a battle for Sarina Wiegman’s side, who looked slightly off the pace in a fixture that saw them tactically questioned by their opponent.
It was a first half that alerted the Lionesses to the task in hand, as they were matched by Haiti all over the pitch, forcing to wait to break the deadlock until the 29th minute in questionable fashion.
A penalty was awarded for a clear handball in the box, however, the Haitians thought they’d eliminated the threat for a moment through Kerly Theus’ initial save from Georgia Stanway’s effort.
At a second glance, the 24-year-old was off her line when the ball was kicked, calling for a re-take from which Stanway opened the scoring.
England need to settle down and keep the ball, giving it away so easily, there’s too much turnover in the game and they’ve looked quite poor in the transitional phases of play, Haiti finding a way to get in behind a little bit too easily. Struggling England with passages of play.
— Josh Bunting (@Buntingfootball) July 22, 2023
Here are our England player ratings in their opening match
Starting XI
Mary Earps: 7 – Was called into action by Haiti’s charged-up threat, made an integral save at the start of the first half and late into the game to keep the score at 1-0. Showed confidence on the ball with a tidy piece of skill in possession.
Lucy Bronze: 6 – Strong in her progressive play, alert in her defensive approach in what was a high contested battle against Haiti’s energised front line.
Millie Bright: 6 – A valiant return to football for the Chelsea defender, who hadn’t played competitively since March due to undergoing knee surgery. Looked shaky at first, but settled into a high pace game.
Jess Carter: 6 – A game that was unpredictable in the consistency of the threat of the opponent, the Lionesses faced added pressure in central defence which unnerved the side however the Chelsea centre-back remained an assured presence at the heart of defence.
Alex Greenwood: 7 – An energised performance, showed her combative side at full-back and consistently progressive in her approach to play, lively presence in the wide areas and fluent in the final third.
Georgia Stanway: 6 – Scored the penalty under pressure after missing her first attempt, combative in midfield however looked a little distanced from her usual composure in midfield due to Haiti’s energy both in and out of possession, was booked just before the interval.
If at first you don't succeed… 😉 pic.twitter.com/n05mlEBo2i
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 22, 2023
Keira Walsh: 6 – Tidy on the ball and made some crucial challenges to break up the flow of Haiti’s play on the counter. Confident and concise in her distribution which was essential in a high-pressured channel in the middle of the park.
Ella Toone: 6 – Difficult game for the Manchester United midfielder to grow into, an assured presence in the middle of the park however was at times overrun by Haiti’s energy on the press.
Chloe Kelly: 8 – The majority of England’s threat came down the flanks, with the 25-year-old at the heart of most things positive going forward. Caused numerous problems down the left in the second half, always looking positive and was the Lionesses’ brightest spark for creativity.
Alessia Russo: 7 – Exceptional hold-up play, caused a constant threat in the box for England however was deprived of chances, came alive in the second half to showcase her presence in the final third.
Lauren Hemp: 6 – Started the game well however a switch in positioning at half time caused some disruption, was booked early into the second half and replaced just before the hour mark.
Subs
Lauren James: 7 – Was introduced early into the second half and showed just how much of a threat she can cause in wide areas.
Rachel Daly: 7 – Had to wait for her chance to show the danger she can cause when leading the line, however quickly showcased how valuable she is for England in creating chances to score and making strong movements to liven the attack in the latter stages.
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