There was no way Christie Louis was going to miss Haiti’s World Cup match against England on July 22. Even if that meant getting up at the crack of dawn.
Louis, who is a rising senior at Boston College, was born in Haiti and came to the United States when she was about four. Until this point in her life, she had never seen her country of birth play in the women’s World Cup. So, for the team’s first match of the global tournament — which had a 5:30 a.m. start time on the East Coast— she made it a point to be up in time to see the national anthem played on live TV.
“And I had work at 9 a.m.,” she said. “[The] commute in is like an hour and a half, but I was like, I’m waking up, I’m watching. Because just those two hours of watching the players play brought me so much joy and pride.”
Seeing her team on the world stage was special, she said.
“I always have pride for Haiti, but (the) amount of joy seeing that Haitian crest there brought in that moment….I don’t think we’ve experienced [that] in a little bit,” Louis said.
This year, Haiti was one of just 32 teams to make it to the women’s World Cup, marking the nation’s first time ever in the women’s tournament and it’s first time playing on FIFA’s biggest stage since the men’s team made it to the World Cup in 1974.
For Haitians in the Boston area, which has the third-largest concentration of Haitians in the United States, the team’s run has been a reason to celebrate. And maybe more importantly, it’s given them a reason to hope.
Carline Desire, the executive director of the Association of Haitian Women in Boston, said it’s been a thrill to watch Haiti play at the World Cup. And considering Les Grenadiers’ path to Australia and New Zealand, the feat is even more impressive.
Haiti is currently number 53 on FIFA’s world rankings. Leading up to the tournament, the team was training in the Dominican Republic because of security concerns in Haiti. On top of that, soccer in Haiti is dealing with the fallout from accusations that the former head of the country’s football federation, Yves Jean-Bart, sexually harassed and abused female players.
But beyond what the team has gone through, the narratives Haiti has battled have provided their own obstacles. Whenever the American press typically talks about Haiti, the focus is usually on the country’s ongoing political instability, issues with gang violence and the influx of migrants from Haiti to the United States.
All of that has made what Haiti has done at the World Cup maybe even more important, Desire said.
“Now, every time you see something like this, more positive spirits coming through different people’s actions like that of the Haitian women’s soccer team,” Desire said. “It brings joy, it’s a stress relief, if you will. Because it’s another excitement, happiness that’s good for you, for your mind, for your body, for your spirit."
Haiti lost its first match 0-1 to England, but holding the Lionesses, who are ranked fourth in the world, to just one score was a feat in and of itself. They lost 0-1 again in another hard-fought match against China in their second match of the tournament, though there were some iffy no-calls that went China’s way that could have swung the game for Haiti.
That’s soccer. Still, the impact this team will have may yet to be fully understood.
Marjorie Bernadeau-Alexandre, a member of the executive board of Hatian-Americans United, Inc., has been following the team for years. She said she’s proud of what the team has done and believes it has sparked a sense of belief in the Haitian diaspora.
“They’re bringing hope, they’re bringing definitely hope to these young people who are growing, and all they’ve been through and all they’ve seen is the negative,” she said.
Going forward, there's a lot to be optimistic about for the Haitian team. Melchie Dumornay, the 19-year-old star of the squad, is one of the planet's best young players and may be a sign of things to come for soccer Haiti.
But no matter what happens next, Louis, the soon to be senior at BC, said she doesn’t think this will be the country’s last time on the beautiful game’s biggest stage. And for her, the resiliency the team has shown is bigger than any trophy. It's something that reflects the spirit of Haiti.
“That’s always the message: That even as the country is going through this gang violence and with the political instability, Haiti is here to stay,” she said. “I think no matter what comes our way, it’s difficult, it’s hard, but I’ve seen my people, time and time again, come back and with just more vengeance and more power the next time around. So, I’m really, really excited and I’m really proud of them. And to me, just being there is enough of a win for me.”
