Overview:
Though Les Grenadières didn’t have the offensive aptitude they portrayed previously, the under-20 aspect nonetheless downed Antigua and Barbuda 3-1 in its first World Cup qualifying recreation. Regardless of not being on the high of their recreation within the attacking third, the younger Haitian ladies Haiti had been a pleasure to observe within the midfield, offensively and defensively.
Haiti’s under-20 soccer workforce was not at its greatest however nonetheless managed to crawl again from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Antigua and Barbuda 3-1 in its first World Cup qualifying recreation at ABFA Technical Middle in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda on Friday afternoon, Feb. 21.
Haiti’s starlet Lourdjina Etienne was absent because of difficulties touring from France to Antigua and Barbuda, based on native stories. Her absence confirmed. Les Grenadières lacked the dynamism and circulate they’d within the Concacaf U-17 Championship in February 2024.
Etienne, the 2024 Concacaf U-17 high participant, traveled to France for a trial with Paris Saint-Germain however was unsuccessful. She then had a tryout with Olympique Lyonnais. The 17-year-old will miss your complete first part of the World Cup qualifiers, which is a giant blow for Haiti.
Pierreline Nazon stepped as much as the plate throughout Etienne’s absence, scoring two targets and racking one help. Nazon scored two tap-ins within the thirty first and 52nd minute. Ella Etienne scored Haiti’s first purpose, steering a low shot from the 18-yard field within the seventeenth minute.
Etienne was heading in the right direction simply eight minutes after Antigua and Barbuda surprisingly opened the scoring. Djoulissa Pierre hit a weak defensive header within the ninth minute. Then, Antiguan Iressiea Allen intercepted the ball and slotted it to the left nook of the online for the 1-0 (9’) lead over the younger Haitians towards the spherical of play.
Les Grenadières lacked vitality within the last third throughout your complete recreation and shot the ball poorly. They solely had 37.5 % of their photographs heading in the right direction. Even when a few of their photographs had been heading in the right direction, they had been weak photographs.
For instance, Etienne took a weak shot from outdoors the field within the sixteenth minute. She then shot large within the nineteenth minute and despatched one other try over the bar within the twenty third minute. Etienne was one of many standout gamers of the evening, proving her affect by getting her identify on the scoresheet.
A laborious but well-earned comeback for the lukewarm Haiti aspect
Regardless of not being on the high of its recreation within the attacking third, Haiti was a pleasure to observe within the midfield, offensively and defensively. The Haitians pressed Antigua and Barbuda within the midfield all the way in which to the dying seconds of the sport. As an illustration, as quickly as an Antiguan participant touched the ball within the midfield within the eighty fifth minute, she was surrounded by a number of Haitian gamers and consequently misplaced the ball.
Offensively, the midfielders typically delivered fast and clever ahead passes. One standout midfielder for her passing talent was Brianna Crevecoeur. Considered one of her most chic passes was a exact by means of ball to Dominique Desert within the field. Desert was capable of finding Nazon, who scored a tap-in.
After the primary spherical of video games within the qualifiers, Haiti tops the desk of Group A. Within the different encounter of the group, Guyana and Belize drew 0-0.
Les Grenadières can be again in motion this Sunday, Feb. 23, going through Belize on the ABFA Technical Middle in St. John, Antigua and Barbuda, at 9 a.m. native time. The Concacaf FIFA U-20 Ladies’s World Cup Qualifiers include six teams of 4 groups. The winners of every group will advance to the subsequent spherical, the place 4 groups will qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Ladies’s World Cup to be held in Poland.