The Lionesses continue their World Cup journey in Australia and New Zealand as they prepare to take on Denmark determined to better their rocky performance against Haiti.
Sarina Wiegman’s side lacked the cutting edge to put several past the Haitians despite dominating possession, holding 75 per cent of the ball and having 11 efforts on target.
The opposition on the other hand only managed two shots on target – one of which required a magnificent save from Mary Earps who managed to get low and spread her body to block Roseline Eloissant’s attempt.
Speaking to ITV after the match Wiegman said: “Haiti were very unpredictable, very transitional.
“That’s what they showed and we struggled with that. We did create chances but we lost the ball and then they were gone. That was hard for us.
How to watch
Date: Friday 28 July
Kick-off: 9.30am (UK time)
TV Channel: BBC One
Live stream: BBC iPlayer
“We want to finish our chances. We did it with the penalty which was good because the win is the most important thing.
“We were very close, we were sometimes too close to the goalkeeper, who was courageous. Sometimes we had the last pass instead of shooting ourselves. I hope that we can score a goal from open play in the next game.”
It was not an ideal start to the tournament but as proven before at the Euros England are capable of upping the gears after a disappointing opener.
However there are a few things they need to sort out first, including but not limited to a lack of goals upfront.
Denmark meanwhile are level on points with England after securing a 1-0 victory against China thanks to a late winner from Amailie Vansgaard.
What to expect from Denmark
By Katherine Lucas
Ever-treading a tightrope between dark horses and disappointment, Denmark have been sorely missed at recent World Cups.
Their failure to qualify for 2019 was a huge shock after they had made the European Championship final two years earlier, but it came amid an ongoing pay dispute that saw the Danes withdraw from several matches in the build-up, including qualifiers.
This will be a final goodbye for manager Lars Sondergaard, who will be hoping to avoid another underwhelming showing like in 2022, when Denmark scored just one goal and crashed out of the Euros at the group stages.
Players to watch
It is a new era for Pernille Harder at club level as she leaves Chelsea after a successful sting which saw her win seven major trophies. She joins Bayern Munich this summer alongside partner Magda Eriksson, but nothing has changed at international level. Denmark are dependent on her for goals, while at the other end their hopes rest on Stine Ballisager Pedersen.
Read the rest of Kat’s analysis in full here
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/1h3uJag
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