Overview:
Haiti lost 1-0 to England in its opening match of the Women’s World Cup, but not without delivering some jaw-dropping plays by star athletes like Melchie Dumornay
The Haitian women’s football team lost its first ever World Cup game to England 1-0 on Saturday in a grueling match that shows why Les Grenadières earned a spot in the global tournament in the first place, bringing kudos and respect from Haitian and non-Haitian fans worldwide.
With this being England’s seventh appearance in the World Cup and Haiti’s debut, the outcome underscores how far and how skilled Les Grenadières has become. A sentiment shared by commentators and Haiti fans, many of whom stayed up late or woke up early on the other side of the globe to watch the match.
“A loss is a loss but we showed them what we can do,” Angeline Eugne, of Port-au-Prince, commented on Facebook.
“Amazing effort! Super proud of our team tonight! Go Haiti,” Nadia Jean also commented on Facebook.
“Good work, Les grenadières 
Another fan Sara Toussaint tweeted: “What a match by Haiti!! The 44,000 in the stands and the rest of the world is on notice!”
A debut worth watching
Georgia Stanway scored The Lionesses’ lone goal of the game via a penalty kick in the 29th minute at Suncorp Stadium in Milton, Australia.
Despite the defeat, the Haitian team showcased their talent, determination and resilience leaving a lasting impression on the world stage.
Les Grenadières could not find the net even after two glorious opportunities from counter attacks. They took seven shots, two of them being on target. Meanwhile, England shot the ball 21 times, putting 11 on frame.
Haiti’s keeper Kerly Theus was one of her side’s top performers, racking 10 saves. As for the Caribbean side’s star player Melchie “Corventina” Dumornay, she had one shot blocked and delivered a key pass to Roselord Borgella, who failed to score. It was a through pass in the 14th minute from Dumornay, but after dribbling in the box Borgella shot the ball low and wide.
England was awarded a penalty kick in the 18th minute after Batcheba Louis handed the ball in the 18-yard box. Theus saved Stanway’s first attempt from the spot. But the Port-au-Prince native’s save was overruled because her feet were off the line.
Stanway steered the ball to the bottom left corner on her second attempt, freezing Theus.
As the match progressed, Haiti faced some unfortunate injuries. In the 22nd minute, one of their central defenders, Jennyfer Limage, had to be substituted due to an injury. Nonetheless, the team fought on, with Nerilia Mondesir displaying immense determination, even after picking up a knock in the 52nd minute.
Haiti came close to equalizing in the 81st minute when substitute Roseline Eloissaint attempted to shoot the ball to the bottom right corner of the net from the box. But England’s keeper Mary Earps denied Eloissaint with a kick-save.
Haiti will face China on Friday at 7:00 a.m. ET at Hindmarsh Stadium in South Adelaide, Australia. After this game, Les Grenadières will square up with Denmark on Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. at Perth Rectangular Stadium in Western Australia.
Haiti needs to finish in the first two spots in its group to advance to the knockout stage.