England's Narrow Win over Haiti at 2023 Women's World Cup Has Fans Relieved

England survived a tough test from Haiti in the first match of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup for both teams.

Georgia Stanway's penalty-kick goal in the 29th minute was the deciding factor in the 1-0 victory for the Lionesses.

The goal was Stanway's second attempt after Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus moved off the line early. England received a penalty kick when Batcheba Louis was called for a handball.

While the win is certainly the most important thing, there was some concern from fans and analysts that the Lionesses weren't able to definitively separate themselves from a feisty Haitian team.

The absence of Leah Williamson in defense, who had ACL surgery in May, was strongly felt in a game like this. She's been England's captain since April 2022 and seemed poised for a huge moment in the spotlight after leading the team to its first Euro title in July 2022.

England did dominate possession (75 percent), resulting in 21 total shots (seven shots on goal), but Haiti proved a formidable foe thanks in large part to Theus' efforts. The 24-year-old stopped 10 of 11 shots she faced to keep her team in the match for all 90 minutes.

Next up for England is a showdown with Denmark on July 28 at 4:30 a.m. ET. Haiti will square off with China on that same day at 7 a.m. ET.