England labour to opening win over Haiti thanks to Georgia Stanway penalty
Georgia Stanway’s retaken first-half penalty was enough to earn England a nervy 1-0 victory over World Cup debutants Haiti in their Group D opener at Brisbane Stadium. This was not the decisive victory most had predicted for the European champions and world’s number-four side against a team 49 places below them in the FIFA rankings. Haiti came close to levelling more than once, including a late second-half chance denied at the last by Mary Earps’ outstretched foot. While the Lionesses ultimately walked away with all three points, it was an underwhelming performance that will leave boss Sarina Wiegman with plenty of questions ahead of Friday’s meeting with Denmark. England fans were out in full force ahead of kick-off in the Queensland capital, where ‘Football’s Coming Home’ could be heard from a riverside rally and ex-Arsenal forward Ian Wright posed in a Lotte Wubben-Moy shirt beneath Story Bridge. For so much of the build-up of this tournament, the conversation around the Lionesses centred on their ongoing dispute with the Football Association over bonus payments and other commercial issues. On a clear Thursday night, England wanted their football to do the talking, yet it was Haiti who enjoyed the first spell of attack, winning an early corner before Chloe Kelly, the hero in last summer’s Euro 2022 final, tested Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus with a curled effort. One of the biggest dilemmas for Wiegman ahead of this tournament was who she would entrust as her number nine and – for this opener at least – it was Alessia Russo who led the England attack and rolled an early effort at Theus. England fans, who by the noise inside the stadium comprised the majority of those in attendance, felt their hearts leap to their throats when Roselord Borgella broke free and was one-on-one with Earps but rolled her effort past the far post. The Lionesses thought they had won a least a penalty when Dayana Pierre-Louis clattered into Kelly on the byline and appeared to clip her knee with a stud, but the Haitian midfielder got away with just a yellow card after it was determined – following a lengthy VAR check – that Russo had committed a foul in the build-up. Soon after that decision, however, Batcheba Louis was punished for a handball and Stanway stepped up to the spot. Theus sparked a jubilant Haitian celebration when she saved Stanway’s first effort, but VAR again intervened and Venezuelan referee Emikar Calderas ruled the keeper had encroached and the penalty was retaken. Stanway did not make the same mistake twice as she fired low into the left corner for what felt like an uneasy lead at the end of a stop-start first half. Melchie Dumornay, the 19-year-old midfielder bound for Lyon after this tournament, forced Earps into a leaping save shortly after the restart before Russo was twice denied in quick succession. Chelsea’s Lauren James made her World Cup debut after replacing Hemp, just ahead of another nervy moment for England when Dumornay found Haiti skipper Nerilia Mondesir in plenty of space before Jess Carter recovered the ball. James tried to get something started by delivering a cross to Russo, who came close but saw her attempt tipped over the crossbar, before Bright skied an effort and Theus picked crosses from Alex Greenwood and James out of the air. On came Rachel Daly for Russo in the 76th minute as Haiti pushed for an equaliser, which nearly came via Roseline Eloissaint but for the outstretched foot of Earps to deny the substitute from 18 yards out. Carter’s well-timed challenge broke up another Haiti run into the Lionesses’ final third, with Earps able to punch away the resulting corner. The chances came for the Lionesses to double their advantage but never the finishing touch as England finished with the result, but probably not the performance, they wanted. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live England’s chances of winning fourth Ashes Test set back by rain Brian Harman hoping history repeats itself after claiming huge halfway lead Denise O’Sullivan hails ‘unbelievable’ Ireland fans at World Cup
2023-07-22 20:19
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Justyn Vicky fans flock to final Instagram video after bodybuilder's freak death
Bodybuilder Justyn Vicky has tragically died due to a freak accident at a gym during a routine squat which ended fatally. The 33-year-old from Indonesia, who had a large following on social media, reportedly died during a back squat where he was attempting to lift 460lbs when tragedy struck at The Paradise Gym on Jalan Danau Tamblingan in Sanur, Bali. While attempting to extend his legs, Justyn reportedly began to struggle to lift the heavy weights which shockingly came crashing down upon his neck. Justyn who is from East Java, was rushed to a hospital after the accident suffering a broken neck and critical compression of the nerves connecting his heart and lungs. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Despite the surgeon's best efforts, he was declared dead shortly after undergoing emergency surgery. In the wake of his tragic and untimely death, fans of the fitness influencer have flocked to his final Instagram post. The video which was shared one week ago sees Justyn speak about the benefits of an ice bath on the body. In the comments many of posted tributes to Justyn. One fan wrote: "He was always full of positive vibes and make me to stay motivated. I'll never forget his impact on my fitness journey. It's a tough loss, but we'll keep his spirit alive." Another added: "Rest in peace bro.. Just last week we were talking telling me to diet." In another post another fan wrote: "I didn't know him well..but when we talked he seemed like a great person..my condolences to the family." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-22 19:21
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Millie Bright: England women’s football captain in profile
With the Lionesses’ Euro 2022-winning captain Leah Williamson forced to miss out on the World Cup through injury, coach Sarina Wiegman has entrusted the responsibility for leading the team to experienced Chelsea centre back Millie Bright. Bright has been passed fit for England’s match against Haiti after recovering from knee surgery and the defender will lead the Lionesses in their Group D opener. Now 29, Bright grew up in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, overcoming infant pneumonia and asthma to enjoy a career as a top level athlete, although her first love was equestrianism, not football. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Showing early promise when she did take to the field aged nine, she was soon scouted playing for Killamarsh Dynamos by Sheffield United and joined their academy before moving to Doncaster Rovers Belles aged 16 in 2009. Making her debut that same year and scoring on her first start, Bright spent a year on loan at Leeds Ladies before establishing herself at Doncaster, where she played with future Lionesses Mary Earps and Bethany England. In December 2014, she signed for Chelsea and has remained with the West London club ever since, picking up four Barclays Women’s Super League titles, three FA Women’s Cups and reaching the UEFA Champions League Final, scoring 14 times across 218 appearances. For England, she was an essential part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the last FIFA World Cup in France in 2019 and of last summer’s triumphant Euros team. She has represented her country, to date, 66 times and scored five international goals, striking up solid defensive partnerships with Williamson and Houghton during that time and posing a significant aerial threat from set plays. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?
2023-07-22 18:22
Ella Toone: England’s understated big game player in profile
Like international teammate Chloe Kelly, Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone will forever be remembered for scoring in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley last July. While Kelly’s winner and celebration made the headlines, in truth it was Toone’s equaliser that was the finer finish, the substitute staying onside to beat the German defence, latching onto an exquisite pass from Keira Walsh and delicately lofting the ball over Merle Frohms into an empty net. She had already netted a crucial equaliser against Spain in the quarter-finals of the same tournament when the Lionesses were beginning to look beaten and has since scored in another final for England, the Finalissima to be exact, setting her side on the path to a 4-2 win on penalties over the South American champions Brazil. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Growing up outside Wigan, Toone, 23, began her playing career with Astley and Tyldesley Girls, where she was spotted by United and drafted into its youth set up in 2007 at the age of just eight, her potential obvious even then. However, after finding her opportunities for advancement limited, she left in 2013 at 14 to join Blackburn Rovers, breaking into the first team in 2015 and scoring an impressive 13 goals in 20 appearances. Between 2016 and 2018 she was with Manchester City, but played for them just five times before returning to United for its inaugural season in the FA Women’s Championship. She has gone on to play 99 times for the Red Devils and score 34 goals, appearing to particularly relish turning out against Leicester, having scored four against them and then five over the course of two separate encounters in 2019. Like Rachel Daly, it was Phil Neville who first called her up for England duty and nurtured her talent at international level, work that has continued under Sarina Wiegman and which has seen her bag two hat-tricks in qualifying for the World Cup against Latvia and North Macedonia. She will be expected to start this time around in place of the injured Fran Kirby. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule
2023-07-22 18:20
Chloe Kelly: England’s most iconic goalscorer in profile
Chloe Kelly has already secured her place in English football history after coming off the bench in last summer’s Euro 2022 Final to stab home the winner in extra-time as Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses beat Germany 2-1, tearing off her shirt and whirling it maniacally in the air in one of the most instantly-iconic celebrations Wembley has ever seen. Kelly had almost missed the tournament with a knee injury but returned to triumph, her moment of euphoria as joyous and empowering a moment as any sport anywhere has ever produced. Since then, she was England’s top scorer in February’s Arnold Clark Cup and scored the winning penalty against Brazil to win the Finalissima, proving once again that she is a big game player of the very highest calibre. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Still only 25, the Londoner grew up in Hanwell, just a bus ride away from the national stadium, the youngest of seven siblings who credits her career to playing street football with her five brothers from a young age. Starting out at Queens Park Rangers, she was soon spotted by Arsenal and progressed through the Gunners’ youth ranks to make her senior debut against Watford at 17, scoring just 22 minutes into that match. In 2016, she was loaned out to Everton, who later made the signing permanent. She would score 16 times for the Toffees in 45 appearances before moving to Manchester City in 2020, where she has since netted another 16 in 48. At international level, she has worked her way up from under-17s to the senior squad, making her Lionesses debut versus Austria in November 2018 in a 3-0 win. With Beth Mead ruled out, Kelly will be competing with the likes of Lauren James for a starting place on the right-wing for England in Australia and New Zealand this month, where her directness again promises to terrify opposition defences. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule
2023-07-22 18:18
Keira Walsh: England’s deep-lying playmaker in profile
Despite being a Manchester City fan so committed to the club that she had pet goldfish named Shaun Goater and Nicolas Anelka as a child, Keira Walsh was also a keen student of “tiki-taka”-era Barcelona growing up in Rochdale, admiring the total control demonstrated by Pep Guardiola’s sides through elegant possession football. These days, Pep is managing City and it is Walsh herself sitting at the heart of Barca’s midfield. She made that move last summer for a world record fee after starring for the Lionesses at Euro 2022, pulling the strings at the centre of the park like another of her idols, David Silva, always knowing precisely when to play the killer pass. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti There was no finer example of this than the perfectly-weighted long ball she dinked into Ella Toone for England’s opener against Germany in the final, for which she was deservingly named player of the match. Another famed instance of Walsh’s artistry in action came at the SheBelieves Cup in Japan in 2019, when she played in Beth Mead with a pass that took out no fewer than eight separate opposition players in one move, a clip of which swiftly went viral. Her performances during the Euros inspired French journalist Julien Laurens to hail her as “the best player in the world”, an accolade that will place renewed pressure on her to stamp her authority on the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. Walsh, now 26, abandoned youthful passions for badminton and cricket to commit to football, emerging from Blackburn Rovers’ youth system before transferring to her beloved City in 2014, where she made 118 appearances and became known to the club’s Oasis-besotted fans as “WonderWalsh” in tribute to her dependable presence. Former teammate Jill Scott, incidentally, has said her nickname among the Lionesses is “Sat Nav Foot” for the extraordinary precision of her passing. For England, Walsh has effortlessly succeeded Fara Williams in central midfield, having been handed the captain’s armband in just her seventh outing for the Lionesses, aged 21, and is no doubt the first name on Sarina Wiegman’s team sheet these days. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule
2023-07-22 18:17
Mikel Arteta responds to Arsenal links with Kylian Mbappe
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