England have a precious first win in this World Cup but that very description is why they did not look like eventual winners of the tournament itself. That isn’t to say it will remain like this, but Sarina Wiegman has a lot of problems to solve, and a lot of work to do. Haiti at least more than set the tone for the latter. In something that has already developed into a bit of a pattern in these first few games, the supposed minnow deserved more than the 1-0 defeat they suffered through Georgia Stanway’s mercifully reordered penalty. Haiti’s brilliant young star, Melchie Dumornay, may well end up deserving a series of individual awards. She was by far the player of the match here, running the game. Haiti often gave England a runaround. The entire result ended up depending on Mary Earps standing her ground in a crucial final chance for Haiti. FOLLOW LIVE: England vs Haiti: Women’s World Cup latest scores and reaction after Lionesses secure victory The caveats to all of this shouldn’t be discounted, of course. The favourites have essentially been treating these group stages as a warm-up, even if they will not publicly say that. It could be seen in Wiegman’s line-up, which still had an element of testing a few positions and the manager not fully revealing her hand. On the other side, and this has played into that pattern, there’s been a will from some of the lower-ranked teams to seize the moment; to put it up the big nations. Haiti more than did that. This is a team and country that have gone through a tumultuous time, both in the political landscape of the nation and some of the controversies around the federation. It made it all the more impressive that the Haitian side did not look like one just making up the numbers. They instead looked like what they are: a side made up of a fair few players in the French league, not least Dumornay. They should now fancy their chances of getting through this group. England will have to really sharpen up to ensure they finish first, as expected. This was nothing like what was expected. And if it was a warm-up, it was furnace-hot. Really, it was a proper contest. The warning came as early as the first minute when England’s rustiness and Haiti’s readiness came together strikingly early. Millie Bright looked very much like she had barely played since March, as she passed an easy ball out of the back straight to Nerilia Mondesir. The danger came about 10 minutes later. Mondesir was again put through only to screw the ball wide, but the true threat here was the sensational Dumornay who put her through with a reverse pass. The entire Women’s World Cup was about to take note. Everyone could instantly see why Lyon secured her signing in January. Dumornay’s value has shot up. She was the best player on the pitch here, combining an energy and intelligence that ensured something looked like it was going to happen every time she was on the ball. This also reflected an issue with the game as a whole. England could get on the ball a lot themselves, with up to 71 per cent possession, but Haiti didn’t really allow them to control it. The personnel issues perhaps didn’t help. While Stanway and Keira Walsh attempted to set a pace in the middle, the latter was frequently marked, in a tactical move that looks like it’s going to be a challenge for the entire campaign, however long that is. It played its part in ensuring the midfield had nowhere to really move the ball with the wide players too isolated and Ella Toone regularly manoeuvred out of the game. England, not for the first time, had little recourse but to go more direct. This admittedly was the source of the essential game-breaking moment. With another ball in the air, Louis Batcheba inexplicably lifted both hands as if reaching for a line-out. Wrong sport, despite the setting, right decision. A penalty given, before another correct decision followed. Stanway struck her first penalty well but Kerly Theus did superbly to leap and force it wide. The issue was the advantage of having also stepped off her line. A retake was ordered and Stanway displayed supreme composure. The question in a moment of significant tension was whether she would go the same way. She instead went low, drilling the ball into the bottom corner. England were away, but not by much. If the expectation was that such a goal would finally kill Haiti’s enthusiasm, there wasn’t a bit of it. The back-and-forth over the penalty instead reflected how complicated the game continued to be for England. At only 1-0, there was always that unsettling feeling that one unfortunate – or, if Dumornay was involved, inspired – moment could change it all. The tension was visible in every break, every rushed clearance. It was never more acute than in the single most dramatic moment in open play, when Roseline Eloissaint suddenly broke through with less than 10 minutes remaining. She slightly snatched at her shot, though, allowing Earps to make a superb save that could yet be one of the most significant of England’s World Cup. The break was all the more concerning for Wiegman’s side, since it had come out of a period when Haiti tired. That was inevitable, but you couldn’t quite say that about another England goal. Wiegman did naturally change things a lot by bringing on Lauren James and Rachel Daly but it didn’t really change the mood of the game. That only came with the final whistle, and it was one of massive relief. Read More Sarina Wiegman admits unconvincing England lacked cutting edge in World Cup opener England underestimated Haiti in World Cup opener and revealed their Achilles heel Mary Earps is an England superstar – even if fans can’t buy her shirt Lucy Bronze: England’s legendary right-back in profile Alessia Russo: England’s attacking talent in profile Rachel Daly: England’s versatile goalscorer in profile

The subscription changes made by Sony and Nintendo have been "welcomed" by the Competition and Markets Authority after the regulator launched an investigation when it was discovered inactive users were still being charged.

Surprise La Liga leaders Girona face Rayo Vallecano on Saturday looking to accomplish what giants...

Federal regulators have approved plans to load radioactive fuel into a second new nuclear reactor in Georgia

WASHINGTON Hardline Republican U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz said on Monday he would move this week to oust Kevin

A popular blogger and OnlyFans star has sparked a fierce debate online after praising her boyfriend for giving his “honest opinion” about her looks. The commentator, who goes by the name Aella, revealed her partner’s blunt assessment of her appearance in response to a tweet from another content creator. In her message, @ThePostsOffice wrote: "Being a girl’s boyfriend is all about committing to the bit that she is a 10/10 and the most beautiful woman you have ever seen." But Aella, a polyamorous former escort, admitted this hadn’t been her experience, replying: “One of my partners once was like 'you're not that pretty' during a tender moment. I rolled over in the fetal position and groaned for like an hour.” However, she continued: “He went and made me an I'm sorry card out of construction paper and markers and stickers.” Alongside her tweet were two pictures of the homemade apology letter, in which the man wrote: “I’m sorry I told you you’re not that pretty during a tender moment and that I made you doubt that I ever desired you. “Before forsaking my cultural wisdom, I should have considered how it would feel and been ready with [kisses].” Aella’s post racked up more than 17.2 million views and 7,100 retweets in a week, as fellow X/Twitter users shared their horror at the partner’s comment. “If any ‘partner’ of mine said that to me in bed I'd kick them out of the door immediately and never allow them to see me again,” one wrote. “Life is too short to tolerate a ‘lover’ who feels like you're anything less than the prettiest person they've ever seen.” “Omg he doesn't even say 'sorry for my cruel attempt at humour, you are the most attractive girl I've ever seen',” noted another. “He says 'sorry I forsook my cultural wisdom and told you the truth'... OUCH boy!” “Where is he getting the idea that this is the objective truth?” asked a third. Aella responded by defending her man (who she's still dating), writing: “To be fair he said it in response to me mourning that [people] are not incentivized to be honest about each other's physical appearances, he was trying to be helpful by giving me his honest opinion since I wanted [people] to be more honest.” She then added: “He's one of the kindest, most caring men I've dated! He was trying to be honest with me when he thought I really wanted that, he was genuinely trying to help me. I appreciate that and I find the entire event pretty endearing. “[In my opinion] people who don't say true things out of love because they're afraid of hurting me are more cowardly and I prefer not to date those people. I'm very much a ‘seek out the painful truth and sob’ kind of person both in general and in relationships.” She then shared a text message the boyfriend sent her in response to the public outcry over his behaviour, in which he wrote that he had “half a mind to [...] include a non-makeup’d photo of [her] and be like ‘look, she is fairly pretty and very attractive and gorgeous when she tries, but that’s different from being effortlessly pretty all the time as some girls in fact are.” He went on: “Lying injures everyone’s ability to trust truthtelling and the thing where lots of women are deeply insecure about their appearance in an inconsolable way is *built out of* all your lies.” However, he conceded: “I admit error both in misunderstanding what she was asking for and in offering it without triple-checking first and in offering it without a bunch of support and reassurance prepared in advance.” Yet, his defence did little to assuage people’s concerns and disapproval. In a lengthy rebuttal, one commentator pointed out: “Beauty is subjective. Everyone has wildly different tastes and things they find attractive. But he’s applying black-and-white thinking to your beauty and speaking from a place of ‘truth’ (during an intimate moment, no less) when in reality… It’s not *the* truth, because there isn’t one truth for beauty. It’s *his* truth.” “There are other men who’d be 100 per cent honest, sharing *their* truth, that they find you stunning.” The woman, called Elle Beecher, continued: “I take major issue when people excuse their careless comments under the guise of ‘truth,’ like they’re some omniscient narrator who can speak from an objective place. You’re ‘not that pretty’ to him. He can’t speak for anyone else. “My gut reaction is that there are so many men who’d happily fulfil your needs and find you stunning, and tell you that in full honesty… so why date a guy who doesn’t?” Concluding her monologue, Elle added: “I support you and your choices fully. But this story makes me sad. I understand that you want to be with someone truthful (as do I), but I wonder why that can’t be with someone who says you’re beautiful and means it.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

Pepkor Holdings Ltd. posted a drop in first-half earnings because Africa’s largest clothing retailer failed to get the

Despite experiencing several social media bans, it appears that Andrew Tate has found a platform for his opinions on X

Food prices in South Africa continue to increase at a startling rate, although the pace of acceleration is

The United States had 3.5 million residents who identify as Middle Eastern or North African

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Category 4 Hurricane Hilary was rushing toward Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Friday morning, threatening to bring

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen landed in the middle of a social media hailstorm after he celebrated the