Women's World Cup group weakest opponent? Haitian women's football is not easy to mess with!
Reporter Han Bing reported With the arrival of the Chinese women's football team in Australia to prepare for the 2023 Women's World Cup, the opponents of the Chinese team in the same group have basically completed their pre-match training and began to enter Australia one after another. England and Denmark have announced their squads, with Haiti, considered the weakest in the group, departing for Australia on Monday after warming up with South Korea on July 8. The Haitian women's football team is the last Chinese women's team opponent to announce the squad, and if the Chinese women's team wants to qualify from the group, it must beat the Haitian women's team, which is not poor in physical fitness and personal skills, like the South Korean women's team. If the Chinese women's football team is to avoid a repeat of the nightmare of the Tokyo Olympics drawing on Zambia, the weakest team in the group, the Haitian women's team must pay high attention.
South Korea "tested" Haitian women's football for China
Haiti women's football team warmed up with South Korea Women's in Seoul on July 8, with 10 of the 11 starters playing in the French Women's League, with only goalkeeper Teus playing in Miami City in the US Women's League. In this warm-up match, the Haitian women's football team should regard the Korean women's football team as the imaginary opponent of the Chinese women's team, so this match has important reference significance for the Chinese women's team. Somewhat surprisingly, despite the overall downside in possession, shots, shots on target, the Haitian women's team scored in the 16th minute by left winger captain Mondshir, and it was not until the 81st minute in the second half that they were reversed 2-1 by South Korea.
Throughout the match, the South Korean women's football team had 70% possession, shooting 13-4, shooting 4-1 on target, and the number of passes 282-121 was in full swing. The Haitian women's team, although generally in the downside, replaced six starters in the second half, including the main attackers Du Monet, Mondehill and Borgela. Haiti were not overtaken until the 81st minute, and it was understandable that they lost by a small goal to South Korea's women's team, which ranked 36th above them and still had home field advantage.
After winning the Women's World Cup intercontinental play-offs in March, Haiti women's football team played two warm-up matches in April, with coach De Lepin announcing a 25-man training squad on June 15 and half a month starting training in Switzerland on June 19. On 2 July, Haiti women's football team defeated world No. 85 Maltese women's football team 5-0 before departing for South Korea for the second stage of preparation. The Haitian women's team arrived in South Korea on July 3 and departed for Perth, Australia, on July 10 for the final stages of preparation, with a warm-up match on July 15.
Most of the Haitian women's football team played in the French women's football league, but only captain Mond de Hill, striker Borgela, B. Luiz, midfielder Dumonet, defenders A. Luiz and K. Luis played in Ligue 1, Grenoble in women's Ligue 2 had 5 selected, and 7 played in the US Women's Football League, but none of them played in the US Women's Top League.
As of press time, the Haitian women's football team has not announced a 23-man roster, and if nothing else, one goalkeeper (4 out of 25) and one rookie midfielder will be eliminated from the current 25-man roster.
Be wary of Haiti's left passage
The Haitian women's team is clearly above the international ranking against South Korea, and there are several players in the team that need special attention from the Chinese women's team. The main goalkeeper Tyus is only 1.65 meters tall, but he is explosive and responsive. At 1.77 meters, defender K-Louise switched from forward to left-back, which allowed her to build an effective barrier on the defensive flanks and provide enough assists on the offensive end. It is a pity that Constant, the original main defensive player of the Haitian women's team, suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee and missed the Women's World Cup, which had a certain impact on the defense. Against South Korea, Lima Day, who plays for Grenoble Women, and 19-year-old T. Josephine, who plays for Brest Women, will start at centre-back.
Duo Monet, a midfielder who plays for Reims Women in Ligue 1, scored 11 goals in 17 games last season and is considered by Reims boss Mikael to be the best attacker he has seen in his 20-year career. Du Monet has excellent technique, great vision, and in addition to excellent passing skills, he also has good passing skills. She has joined the mighty Lyon Women's team and is a key playmaker on the offensive end of the Haitian women's team. Captain Montdehill scored 93 per cent of her goals in the box when she played for Montpellier Women last season, which shows that her sense of smell in front of goal is extraordinary. The 30-year-old veteran Borgela scored 13 goals in eight games in the Women's World Cup qualifiers, and at 1.77 metres, she mainly moves on the right wing, but has more of a central forward position after playing for Dijon Women.
The Haitian women's team plays in a 433 or 442 formation, Borgela bursts forward, the two wings are Mondehill and B. Louis, Dumonet organizes the attack behind these three, and sometimes presupposes to partner Borgela in the attack. In the Women's World Cup intercontinental play-offs in March, left-back K. Luiz, captain left winger Mondehill and centre-forward Borgela were Haiti's main attacking channel, with three involved in all six goals (four goals and two assists), while Du Monet was two shots and one pass. In the warm-up match against South Korea, it was also the left winger Mondhill who scored. If the Chinese women's team wants to get three points on the Haitian women's team, it is key to contain this attacking channel on the left and the attacking playmaker Du Monet in the center.