Key events
Full-time: China 1-0 Haiti
It’s all over. Full credit to China for digging out a 1-0 win after playing the second half with 10. But Haiti will feel aggrieved that one of their penalty shouts wasn’t given. In the end, Wang’s spot-kick in the 75th minute has proven decisive.
90 + 13 min: We’re still playing! This could go on forever with penalty shouts coming every two minutes!
90 + 11 min: Another penalty shout but this one, as Louis goes down, isn’t as strong. Or is it? The referee is running to the side of the pitch but not to check the moniter; she’s telling the Haiti bench to calm down!
90 + 10 min: Dumornay goes down in the box after colliding with Dou. The replay suggests the Haiti player got to the ball first but it’s only a corner. Wow!!! More controversy!!!
90 + 9 min: Corner to Haiti. Last chance surely. Mondesir goes deep but Louis’ header drops well wide. That could be that.
90 + 8 min: Big chance for Haiti! Mondesir turns sharply in the box but, from a tight angle, blazes her right-foot shot across goal and wide of the far post.
90 + 7 min: China have everyone behind the ball now. Haiti just can’t find a way through though.
90 + 5 min: Was that the last big moment of the match? The clock is ticking and the Haiti fans in the crowd are looking somewhat bereft. The Chinese contingent, as you would imagine, are in full voice.
90 + 3 min: This has been a game of penalties. One that was given and two – one to either side – that weren’t.
Possible penalty to Haiti!!
Eloissaint is grappled to the floor by Chen and this is being checked. The defender had her arms around the Haiti No. 11 but no!! Scrub that. The penalty was initially given but it’s been overturned.
90 + 2 min: Great ball over the top for Dumornay. She takes it in her stride but her backheel is cut out. But wait….
90 + 1 min: Some good news for Haiti. There will be nine added minutes!!
90 min: Jeudy is replaced by Shwendesky Joseph, who we’re told by the ITV commentary crew is studying for a degree in St Petersburg.
89 min: This has been a brilliant effort from 10-woman China to not only keep Haiti at bay but then pinch what looks likely to be the winning goal.
88 min: Another change for China as Tang Jiali replaces Zhang, who has put in a right old shift and gets a deserved series of pats on the back from her coaching staff.
87 min: Great clearance from Yao inside her own six-yard box after a cross from the left.
85 min: A bit of cramp for Zhang delays play but the referee holds up her watch to show that the time will be added on.
84 min: Linyan Zhang pulls the trigger from distance but it’s straight at Theus. Shooting there wasn’t the best idea in terms of running down the clock.
83 min: Good defending from Louis as she shows great pace to stop Xin Zhang, who was bursting through the middle from a China counter-attack.
81 min: Haiti have a free-kick which is too near the goalkeeper, who punches clear. The delivery needs to be much better than that. Haiti are making a double substitution and Chelsea Supris (great name) and Danielle Etienne come on for Pierre-Louis and Mathurin. China bring on Dou Jiaxing.
79 min: It’s all China now which is quite something given that they’re a player down. The goal from Wang has clearly knocked the stuffing out of Haiti although they still have time.
77 min: Another chance for China to make it 2-0 but the header goes over. We’re seeing replays of the penalty that never was. Hard to fathom how Louis’ tackle wasn’t penalised.
No penalty! Eh! How has that not been given!!!
76 min: Is that another penalty shout? Zhang is down again. I think it is!!!
75 min: As it stands, China will go level on points with Denmark (3pts each). And that means England’s qualification is not yet confirmed.
GOAL! China 1-0 Haiti (Wang, 74)
Wang, the superstar second-half sub, tucks away the penalty into the bottom corner and China, down to 10, have the lead!!!!
Penalty to China!
No offside and the penalty is given for the foul on Linyan Zhang, whose clever cut-back draws the foul.
Possible penalty for China!!! Drama! China will surely be given a penalty but is it offside in the build-up. This will be checked. The foul is surely clear-cut but the offside is marginal.
70 min: Into the final 20 minutes. Will China’s legs tire? They’ve had to play with 10 for all this half and the last few minutes of the first.
68 min: Borgella pulls the ball back to Dumornay whose shot is deflected into the path of Mondesir. With no defender near her, she hooks it wide but is a mile offside anyway. Bottom line though: Dumornay is making things happen.
67 min: Some respite for the Chinese defence as Lina Yang has a shot from distance but it lacks pace even if the direction is good. Easy for Theus.
65 min: Dumornay tries a backheel into the path of fellow sub Eloissaint but underhits it. Haiti press again and China have to scramble clear in the box. The Steel Roses are rather hanging on here.
65 min: Haiti definitely looking the more dangerous team now as they make their extra player count. But where is that elusive goal?
62 min: Haiti win a corner down the right. Mathurin takes left-footed and it causes chaos. Dumornay tries an acrobatic bicycle kick as the ball bounces but only succeeds in booting poor Yao Wei in the head. That’s a nasty one and the No. 8 will need treatement. Dumornay is shown a yellow card for dangerous play. She checks on Yao’s health and gets a nod of thanks. We’re all good. Meanwhile, Haiti bring on Roseline Eloissaint for Louis.
60 min: Danger for China as Batcheba Louis pinches possession on the edge of the box. Her cross-cum-shot strikes a China defender and rebounds to safety. That could easily have have deflected towards goal and perhaps even into it.
59 min: Zhu dashes from our line to boot clear as Borgella chases a pass from deep. More substitutions coming shortly.
58 min: Dumornay getting involved but perhaps from too deep. Now it’s the second super-sub, Wang, who threatens as she takes a cross down on her chest but can’t get a shot off on the Haiti goal.
55 min: That was Haiti’s first effort on goal and it should have put them 1-0 up. The good news: there’s still 35 minutes to go.
54 min: The corner from Jeudy goes straight out. What a waste. Dumornay still wondering how she didn’t score.
52 min: What a save!!! Mondesir is fouled, giving Haiti a free-kick out on the left. The ball is floated in and drops to Dumornay six yards out. It’s a golden chance and she connects well but Zhu pulls of a stunning one-handed save to tip the ball over. Should have been a goal but let’s credit the goalkeeper.
50 min: No immediate impact from the two subs so far. Dumornay went up for a header in the box but was beaten to the ball.
Some Twitter debate on my timeline in regard to Wang not starting.
Xiaoou: “Think Wang Shuang not starting because her form was terrible during friendlies.”
Christopher Atkins: “She was still in US for most of the camp, they flew her over really late (much later than every other nation brought their players in). Her form in Louisville has been good. There’s more to it than ‘form’.”
47 min: Those were the changes neutrals wanted to see in terms of the attacking intent going up several notches.
Half-time changes – Dumornay and Wang on!
Big news at the start of the second half: Haiti have brought on their star player, Melchie Dumornay, while Wang Shuang is on for China.
Back underway! China 0- 0 Haiti
Let’s go again! Both sides are yet to score a goal in this World Cup. As Karen Carney says in the ITV studio, we need to see “ruthless not toothless”.
By the way, you can read Karen’s latest blog for the Guardian here.
Half-time! China 0-0 Haiti
That’s the half-time whistle and the big news of a 45 minutes that lacked chances is the red card for Zhang Rui which has left China down to 10 and their hopes hanging by a thread. Time for a quick cuppa.
45 + 2 min: Haiti are being a little sloppy here as the half comes to a close. China quicker to the ball. Can they keep that up though?
45 min: We’re into first-half injury time. Just three minutes which seems a bit low given the red-card stoppage and a few injuries.
44 min: That was a big scare for China and perhaps a portent of what’s to come as they battle on with just 10 players. A bit more care and that would have been Haiti in front.
Haiti goal ruled out!
42 min: GOAL FOR HAITI!!! No, it won’t count. A pass comes off the referee’s back which could have caused the strike to be ruled out. But instead it’s a straightforward offside on Mondesir. Haiti’s No. 10 tucks the ball away nicely but is clearly in an offside position when she goes through.
42 min: China try to break but they’re a player down and lack the numbers.
40 min: And while there’s a Dumornay-shaped hole in the Haiti XI, why are China not turning to their best attacking threat: Wang Shuang? Perhaps it’s all pointing to a dramatic finish. Not much excitement in the first half it has to be said, bar the red card obvs.
39 min: Haiti try a long ball out of defence but it comes to nothing. They really are missing Dumornay’s craft and dribbling skills. Could she come on at half-time?
37 min: Here’s the change. Lou is replaced by Xin Zhang, who started the first game.
35 min: Lots of activity on the China bench as they prepare to reshuffle in response to going down to 10.
34 min: The door is open here for Haiti. Denmark, their final group opponents, haven’t pulled up any trees so far and a win by two goals here would leave Haiti just needing a draw against the Danes to go through to the knockout phase. Email in if I’ve got my permutations wrong!
32 min: Haiti have a free-kick down the right which Zhu flaps away slightly unconvincingly. It’s recycled and Zhu scoops up the low shot.
