The Denmark captain Pernille Harder converted a first-half penalty to register her maiden Women’s World Cup goal, setting up a 2-0 victory over Haiti on Tuesday and securing her side’s spot in the last 16. They now travel to Sydney to play a blockbuster tie against co-hosts Australia on Monday.
The result ends a long drought for the Danes, who last advanced to the knockout stages in 1995. Group D, though is topped by England, who face Nigeria in Brisbane on MondaySydney.
Denmark started quickly and remained undeterred after a third-minute goal by defender Simone Boye was ruled offside by VAR.
But on 21 minutes, Haiti midfielder Dayana Pierre-Louis conceded a penalty for handball which gave Harder her moment, and from the spot she coolly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner.
The Bayern Munich player could have had two more, with a 45th-minute effort ruled out for offside and an 83rd-minute header disallowed after forward Signe Bruun was adjudged to have fouled Kerly Theus, the diminutive Haitian goalkeeper, outside the box.
Haiti, ranked 55th in the world, showed great spirit in search of an equaliser, dominating periods after the break, but ultimately the experience of the 18th-ranked Danes shone through and substitute Sanne Troelsgaard sealed the result in stoppage time.
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Haiti end their first World Cup campaign winless from three games.
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