Haiti overwhelmed New Zealand 4-0 in a World Cup warmup match on June 2 at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida [1, 2, 3]. Ruben Providence opened the scoring in the 12th minute for Haiti, setting the tone early [1, 2, 3]. Six minutes after halftime, Lenny Joseph doubled the lead [1, 2, 3]. Frantzdy Pierrot scored a header just after the hour mark to extend Haiti’s advantage [1, 2, 3]. Markhus Lacroix sealed the victory with a late goal in the 87th minute [1, 2, 3].
New Zealand’s captain Chris Wood made his 89th international appearance, becoming the most-capped player in the nation’s history [1, 2, 3]. Despite this milestone, New Zealand, the lowest-ranked team in the World Cup, struggled defensively. Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen had a poor first half and was replaced by Max Crocombe at halftime [1, 2].
Haiti entered the match ranked 82nd in the world and faced a partial lineup as midfielder Woodensky Pierre was delayed by visa issues. He arrived around halftime and only caught the final stages of the game after landing at Miami airport with Haitian officials, according to a team spokesperson [1, 2, 3].
The match served as a final test before World Cup group play for both teams. New Zealand and Haiti now prepare for their upcoming World Cup fixtures with this result serving as a confidence boost for Haiti.
