England win over Denmark dampened by injury to star player Walsh at Women's World Cup
South Africa ties Argentina for 1st point ever in World Cup
England's hopes of winning the Women's World Cup suffered a blow on Friday when Keira Walsh was taken off the pitch on a stretcher with what appeared to be a serious knee injury during their win over Denmark.
The 26-year-old holding midfielder, who was an integral part of the England team that won the Euros last year, crumpled to the turf at Sydney Football Stadium without contact in the 38th minute and immediately called for medical assistance.
England, who beat Haiti 1-0 in their tournament opener, went on to beat the Danes 1-0 courtesy of Lauren James's sixth minute strike to put one foot in the last 16.
The injury to Walsh was, though, a dark cloud over the victory for a team who lost captain Leah Williamson and Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries before the tournament.
"Of course I'm concerned because she couldn't walk off the pitch but ... we can't make any assumptions until we have a diagnosis," England coach Sarina Wiegman told reporters.
WATCH: Knee injuries plague women's soccer:
"It's not nice when a player goes off the pitch like that but we know that sometimes, unfortunately, these things happen in football. You have to find your feet and get on with the game and that's what we did.
"In the second half, (Denmark) played a more direct style and it was more of a fight game, and we also showed that we can fight. I felt they showed real resilience and ... I'm really proud of the team."
Walsh, who left the stadium on crutches, moved from Manchester City to Barcelona last year for a world record fee reported to be in the region of $470,000. She won a Liga F and Champions League double in her first season in Spain.
Ominously for England, Denmark coach Lars Sondergaard suggested that Walsh's absence had contributed to his side's improvement in the second half.
"I felt a little bit sorry for England when they lost Keira Walsh," he said.
"I hope it's not as bad as it looked but it could also be the reason why we got back into the game when she was not on the pitch."
If Walsh's injury proves to be as bad as feared, it will only increase calls for more research into why, as various studies suggest women are two to eight times more likely to suffer ACL injuries compared to men in the same sport.
WATCH | Soccer North previews Canada's match against Australia:
Argentina comes back to tie South Africa
Argentina scored two game-saving goals in a flurry of five minutes during the second half Friday to salvage a 2-2 draw with South Africa at the Women's World Cup in Dunedin, New Zealand.
The draw gave both teams a single point in Group G. Sweden and Italy, the co-leaders of the group with three points each, play Saturday.
Sophia Braun sent the ball soaring into the top right corner of the net in the 74th minute to get Argentina on the board. Romina Nunez tied it with a header in the 79th.
The game was played before just 8,834 spectators in Dunedin Stadium, but those in attendance made their support known for both of the teams.
Linda Motlhalo scored in the 30th minute for South Africa when she knocked in a pass from Thembi Kgatlana when play slowed because Argentine players thought South Africa was offside. Kgatlana later added a goal herself in the 66th minute.
The draw gave South Africa its first-ever point in the Women's World Cup. South Africa lost every match in the group stage at the 2019 Women's World Cup, as well as this tournament opener.
But the Banyana Banyana are more competitive this time around and took the lead against Sweden in the opener before losing 2-1.
South African team captain Refiloe Jane was stretchered off in the 22nd minute for an apparent injury to her left ankle. The midfielder went down after colliding mid-air with an Argentinian player, who seemed unhurt.
In the 79th minute, Nunez tied the match with a header into the bottom corner of the net, just out of reach of diving South African goalkeeper Kaylin Swart. Argentine fans celebrated loudly in the stands.
China 1, Haiti 0
Despite playing with 10 players for more than an hour, China defied the odds to secure a 1-0 victory over Haiti.
Forward Wang Shuang scored her first-ever goal at a World Cup in the 74th minute, converting a penalty after VAR ajudged her teammate Zhang Linyan was fouled in the area.
This victory marks the second time in Women's World Cup history that a team has won with 10 players on the field, with the previous occurrence taking place in 2011.
After a relatively uneventful opening 28 minutes, the game changed dramatically when China midfielder Zhang Rui received a red card for a tackle on Sherly Jeudy. Zhang was initially given a yellow card but, after VAR review, the decision was changed to direct red. The Steel Roses were forced to play with 10 players for the remainder of the match.
The one-player advantage allowed Haiti to gain the upper hand, especially following the introduction of Melchie "Corventina" Dumornay at the start the second half. Dumornay nearly opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, but her right-foot shot from close range was pushed over the crossbar by China goalkeeper Zhu Yu.
With Haiti committing additional players forward, China capitalized on the available space and Zhang Linyan was brought down in the box. VAR was again involved with an initial offside decision being reversed and a penalty kick being awarded. Halftime substitute Wang Shuang sent Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus the wrong way for the game's only goal.
Haiti thought it had a lifeline when it was initially awarded a penalty kick of its own in stoppage time, but VAR reversed the decision.
