The FIFA Woman’s World Cup is currently underway, with thrilling matches taking place in the tournament. The tournament is being hosted in Australia and New Zealand, with 32 teams from the world battling it out for the elusive trophy. Recently, England faced Haiti in their group stage tie and came out as winners. Although England won the match 1-0, the talk of the match was Haiti GK Kerly Theus, with an outstanding performance against the three lions.
During the match, England were dominating the possession with 75% of it belonging to them. They were playing extremely well with over 20 shots taken throughout the course of the game, with 11 of them being on target. English midfielder Georgia Stanway slotted in a goal from the spot, with England not able to convert their chances from outside the box. It was majorly because of Kerly Theus’s heroics in the game.
Who is Haiti GK Kerly Theus?
Kerly Theus is Haiti’s 24 Goal Keeper. She is born on January 7, 1999, and along with her international allegiance, she also plays for Aigle Brillant AC, a club based out of Haiti. She has been part of the international setup for a long time now. The player played for the Haitian under-20 national team at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The tournament was the first major tournament Haiti ever participated in, even at the youth level. She has played for the senior Haitian national team, most notably on January 28, 2020, when Haiti faced the United States in a CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship match.
England pick up the three points, but they've had to work hard for their 1–0 win – Kerly Theus made NINE saves for Haiti. 🤏#FIFAWWC #ENG #HAI pic.twitter.com/QX3nNBYWeP
— Flashscore.com (@Flashscorecom) July 22, 2023
In a thrilling encounter, England were awarded a penalty due to a handball in the 12-yard box. Kerly Theus saved the first attempt from Georgia Stanway, however, the penalty had to be re-taken due to the GK jumping early off her line. On the retake, the Bayern midfielder slotted it in. Apart from the penalty, Kerly was amazing throughout the game and was undoubtedly, the best performer of the game.
Kerly Theus’ great performance vs England praised by fans
Kerly Theus presented some mind-blowing stats after the game, showcasing the Haitian Goal Keeper made 10 saves in the match, with an additional 3 parries and 2 claims. That is magnificent for a young 5-foot-4-inch keeper, showing signs of promise for the player. According to WhoScored, the player got a rating of 8.67.
⭐️ Kerly Théus – POTM: England 1-0 Haiti
🧤 Saves – 10
🥊 Parries – 3
🦶 Touches – 46
🙋♀️ Claims – 2
🌡️ WS Rating – 8.67#FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/HEmNUr08uV— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) July 22, 2023
It was very shocking that even after being the best player on the pitch, as marked by the fans as well, she was not named the player of the match. However, she got showers of praise from the English fans, who were keen to see where she ends up in the future. Some of them even criticized the decision of her not being named as the POTM. Some of the tweets are here:
Despite this extraordinary performance, she did not have the trophy of the best player of the match.
— Juvi The Unforgettable 👑 (@jhon_desire) July 22, 2023
Stats don’t lie. She was the best today! https://t.co/N3XWK6KccD
— Jude C. (@iam_JC1) July 22, 2023
She was insane! Hopefully people notice her so she can level up! https://t.co/wGXjy21GXp
— Tash (@Jupiters_moon14) July 22, 2023
It will be interesting to keep track of her future, both in the tournament as well as her career.
