The U.S. WNT will kick off the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament on Jan. 28 vs. Haiti at BBVA Stadium in Houston. Here are five things to know on Haiti:
Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Jonie Gabriel (As Tigresses), 12-Kerly Theus (Aigle Brillant), 18-Madelina Fleuriot (Exafoot)
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Soveline Beaubrun (As Tigresses), 3-Chelsea Surpris (Unattached), 4-Ruthny Mathurin (As Tigresses), 5-Tabita Joseph (As Tigresses), 13-Emeline Charles (Aigle Brillant), 15-Johane Laforte (Anacaona SC), 20-Kethna Louis (Le Havre AC, FRA)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 6-Melchie Dumonay (As Tigresses), 8-Dany Etienne (Fordham University, USA), 9-Sherly Jeudy (Anacaona SC), 14-Phiseline Michel (As Tigresses), 19-Angeline Gustave (As Tigresses)
FORWARDS (5): 7-Batcheba Louis (FF Issy Les Moulineaux, FRA), 10-Nerilia Mondesir (Montpellier HS, FRA), 11-Roseline Eloissaint (As Tigresses), 16-Abaina Louis (As Tigresses SC), 17-Mikerline Saint Felix (Montauban FC, FRA)
USA vs. Haiti
The USA has played Haiti six times, all wins, with the most recent two matches coming on the Victory Tour after the 2015 World Cup, which were 5-0 and 8-0 wins. The previous four meetings were in CONCACAF qualifying tournaments. The teams first met in the first CONCACAF women’s qualifying tournament in 1991, a Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament that was hosted by Haiti. The USA won 10-0 in Port-au-Prince. The teams wouldn’t meet again for 13 years when they played at the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament in February of 2004, an 8-0 U.S. victory. The teams also met at the Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament in Mexico in 2010, with the USA winning 5-0, and won 6-0 at the Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament in 2014 Washington, D.C. Carli Lloyd has scored a hat-trick in her last two meetings with Haiti, in September 2015 in Detroit and then again three days later in Alabama.
How They Got Here
Haiti won its Caribbean qualifying group to make it to the final tournament for 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying, beating Suriname, 10-0, and Puerto Rico, 2-1, during matches staged in Puerto Rico last October. Mondésir scored four times against Suriname while Batcheba Louis had three goals and Mikerline Saint-Felix (off a penalty kick) and Isnada Lebrun added single goals. Saint-Félix and Melchie Dumornay scored vs. PR. Haiti did not make the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament. Puerto Rico won Haiti’s four-team Caribbean Zone qualifying group, defeating Haiti, 3-2. Haiti defeated Aruba 14-0 and Grenada 13-0, but the loss to Puerto Rico relegated them to second place in the group, thereby missing the final qualifying competition.
Young Success Bodes Well for Future
Haiti’s Under-20 WNT qualified for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, its first FIFA event for its women’s team. Haiti lost all three games at that tournament, but it was a massive accomplishment for Haitian women’s soccer. Half of Haiti’s roster for this tournament was on that U-20 World Cup Team: goalkeepers Kerly Theus and Madelina Fleurio, defender Emeline Charles, midfielders Melchie Dumonay, Dany Etienne, Sherly Jeudy and forwards Nerilia Mondesir, Roseline Eloissaint and Mikerline Saint Felix.
Concacaf History
Haiti has participated in two previous Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournaments: in 2004 when it played the USA and lost 8-0, and in 2012, when it lost 6-0 to Canada, 2-0 to the Costa Rica and beat Cuba, 3-0, but did not advance out of the group. Haiti drew Canada, 1-1, in closed door match in Austin, Texas, to prepare for this tournament. Mikerline St-Félix scored for Haiti.