Americans put away Haiti with three goals in final half hour
The score will say the United States women’s national team won its CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament opener 4-0 over Haiti on Tuesday night. That would be accurate.
But, it would also be fair to say that the Americans struggled with an opponent they should have dispatched easily.
Haiti entered the contest ranked No. 68 in the world and lost five of its previous six games in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Les Grenadières trailed within two minutes when USWNT forward Christen Press was given acres of space at the back post. However, Haiti did not concede again for another hour.
It took the introduction of Megan Rapinoe for the United States to restore order and put three goals past the Haitians in the final 23 minutes of the match. Rapinoe assisted Lynn Williams’ 67th minute goal as well as Lindsey Horan’s 73rd minute goal.
Carly Lloyd scored in stoppage time to put a bow on the proceedings.
The United States held Haiti to 37 % possession and 119 completed passes. What should concern the reigning world champions is what occurred when Haiti conjured its only corner kick.
Haiti’s Ruthny Mathurin thought she scored an Olympico in the 18th minute, but the goal was waved off. Allegedly, Haiti was offside, even though the Laws of the Game indicate that one cannot be flagged for offside on a corner kick.
Of the three players on the USWNT with ties to Florida, Emily Sonnett was the only member of the squad who earned a cap against Haiti. Sonnett replaced fullback Kelly O’Hara in the 81st minute.
