One of the tournament favourites faces a Women’s World Cup newcomer when England plays Haiti in a Group D match in Brisbane, Australia.
England is the reigning European champion, trying to join Germany as the only team to win the World Cup while holding that continental title. Germany did it in 2003 and 2007. The Lionesses have qualified for five consecutive World Cups and, along with the United States and Germany, is one of only three teams to make it to the quarterfinals in each of the last four tournaments.
England and the U.S. are the only two teams to reach the semifinals in the last two World Cups.
The match in Brisbane marks the first meeting between the two teams, and the Lionesses have never lost a group-stage game against a CONCACAF team.
Haiti is another one of eight teams making its World Cup debut and qualified by beating Senegal and Chile in the inter-confederation playoffs. Haiti is led by Daelle Dumornay, who is also known as “Corventina.” She scored both goals in Haiti’s win over Chile.
Haiti is trying to become the first CONCACAF team to win a match in its first World Cup since the U.S. won all six games at the inaugural tournament in 1991. Four CONCACAF teams have tallied a combined three draws and nine losses in their first World Cups. And even though England is favoured, the Lionesses have won only one of their last eight games against CONCACAF teams.
But Haiti arrived in Australia in a slump, losing four games over the last month.
China looking to mark return with victory over Denmark
China is making its third consecutive appearance at the Women’s World Cup and opens with a Group D match in Perth, Australia, against Denmark, which is back in the tournament for the first time since 2007.
Denmark ended its 16-year absence by winning all eight of its qualifying games behind an impressive 40 goals scored. Denmark will have to continue that level of play to have a shot to advance out of its group — which also includes England and Haiti — for the first time since 1995.
China is making its eighth World Cup appearance after winning the Asian Cup for the ninth time. China, which has reached the knockout round in its previous seven World Cup appearances and lost in the 1999 final, has not won its opening match since 2007.
The Danes will be trying to go deep into the tournament as a send-off for coach Lars Søndergaard, who will end his nearly six-year run with the national team after the World Cup. He’ll rely on captain Pernille Harder, who is making her tournament debut. Harder recently ended her time playing for Chelsea and signed with Bayern Munich.
China is led by striker Wang Shanshan, who was named the country’s player of the year in April and scored five goals in the Asian Cup. She’s also scored in a previous World Cup, with two goals in 2015.
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