Fifa Women’s World Cup: late Wang penalty keeps China’s hopes alive in dramatic win over Haiti
- Substitute Wang Shuang scores from spot 16 minutes from time as China overcome early red card for Zhang Rui
- Haiti had late penalty claim overruled by VAR in result that means China could still qualify for knockout stages
Substitute Wang Shuang’s penalty 16 minutes from time kept China’s Women’s World Cup challenge alive in Adelaide on Friday, as the Steel Roses overcame Zhang Rui’s 28th minute sending off to register a dramatic 1-0 win over tournament debutants Haiti.
The slender victory was greeted with a roar from the majority inside Hindmarsh Stadium and Shui Qingxia’s side will take on England on Tuesday knowing their hopes of a place in the Round of 16 remain intact.
China have never missed out on the knockout rounds of the tournament in the nation’s seven previous appearances at the finals, but their Group D victory over Haiti was not without controversy.
Shui’s side benefited from the use of VAR to claim the three points, with officials overruling a decision by referee Marta Huerta to award a free kick to the Haitians after a passage of play that ended with Zhang Linyan being brought down in the area by Ruthny Mathurin.
The review found that Zhang was not only onside but that Mathurin’s clumsy challenge in the box was a foul and the Spanish referee belatedly pointed to the spot, allowing Wang to coolly roll the ball home.
It was a fortuitous outcome for a China side that had been reduced to 10 players in the 28th minute when Zhang Rui was sent off for a nasty challenge on Sherly Jeudy, the midfielder left with blood streaming from her knee after being caught by the Chinese player’s studs.
The loss of Zhang stymied her side’s positive start as the Chinese sought to use their technical ability and guile to overcome the more physical Haitians.
However, the only glimpse of goal in the opening 20 minutes came when Wu Chengshu released Li Mengwen down the right and her looping cross was weakly volleyed off target at head-height by Lou Jiahui.
It was a sign, though, that the Chinese were starting to find their way into the game. Lou almost capitalised on Tabita Joseph’s under-hit back pass while Wang Shanshan headed a corner wide. Moments later Zhang Rui bent her free kick wide of Kerly Theus’ right post.
Cheers from the Chinese fans greeted their side’s increasingly regular forays forward, with Haitian central defender Kethna Louis often the only barrier between the Steel Roses and another sight of goal. That momentum was halted by Zhang’s red card.
Huerta had initially shown a yellow for her knee high challenge that left Jeudy writhing in pain, but one look at the pitch side monitor ensured the Spanish official overturned her original decision to send the playmaker off.
The Chinese were stunned and briefly looked like they had gone behind when, with three minutes left in the half, Nerila Mondesir slotted past Zhu. A belated offside call ensured the teams went into the interval level.
Wang, left out of the starting line-up for the second game in a row, was introduced at the start of the season half as Shui sought to add creativity to her struggling team but it was the Haitian substitute, Melchie Dumornay, who carried a greater threat.
The Stade de Reims midfielder forced a reflex save from Zhu eight minutes after the restart, the goalkeeper reacting sharply to palm a close-range shot high over the bar with her right hand.
Haiti threatened again when Batcheba Louis dispossessed Yao Lingwei inside her own penalty area only to see her low centre thumped clear by substitute Zhang Xin.
With little more than 15 minutes to go Zhang Linyan was sent crashing to the turf and Wang put her side in front before the Chinese weathered a late storm that saw a Haitian penalty claim waved away following another VAR call as Shui’s side clung on for the three points.
