Team China Lauded by Press, Under Fire from Fans

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 28, 2002

Team China Lauded by Press, Under Fire from Fans

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South Korea Held to Goalless Draw with China

The Chinese soccer team were given the thumbs-up by the press but bombarded with criticism from fans after they held South Korea to a goalless draw in a World Cupwarm-up match in Inchon, South Korea, on Saturday.

Although the Chinese only extended their poor record against South Korea to one win, nine draws and 14 defeats in 24 encounters, Chinese press was generous in compliments.

The west Chinese newspaper Huaxi City wrote with enthusiasm under the headline "Team China Great, South Korea-Phobia Fades out" to laud the team's performance.

"Despite the absence of ace strikers Hao Haidong and Yang Chen as well as defender Wu Chengying, the team has done an excellent job," the newspaper commented. "It is true that they failed to score a goal, but it was still satisfying to see them form a soliddefense line, which held South Korea's attack at bay."

"South Korea phobia has faded out," concluded the article.

Beijing Youth Daily also congratulated the team's successful defensive strategy.

"The new defensive strategy came through as the South Koreans failed to penetrate time and again," it said.

"China was in better form than their opponents," said Sichuan Morning Paper. "More apparent is their advantage in the air, whichhelped them prevail both in attack and defense."

Chinese fans, however, were not so upbeat about the result.

"They should have won the match, which shows that they have yetto narrow the gap with those soccer powerhouses," a person wrote on the message board of a popular Chinese Web site, referring to forward Su Maozhen's two misses.

China could have opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Su forced a brilliant save from keeper Lee Woon-jae with a powerful header.

He missed another good opportunity when his header from a left cross was again pushed away by Lee.

Both sides made some changes during the interval but failed to create any good chance in second half.

Striker Zhang Yuning was one of the substitutions made in the second half, but his slack performance became a target of criticism of fans.

"I strongly support to leave Zhang out of the national squad," a person who registered with a name "Say Whatever I Like" wrote ona Web bulletin.

But to Chinese team officials, both the players and the result were good enough.

China Football Association spokesman Dong Hua said that the CFAwas satisfied with the outcome.

"It was a close match, which proved the progress of the Chineseteam," said Dong.

"In the past, Chinese players looked nervous while against the South Koreans, but they were fully relaxed this time," he added.

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South Korea Held to Goalless Draw with China

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