China Better Team Than Costa Rica, Says Sun Jihai

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, June 05, 2002

China Better Team Than Costa Rica, Says Sun Jihai

Chinese starting defender Sun Jihai said China is a better team than Costa Rica and would have won the first game if he were not injured, a Chinese newspaper reported on Tuesday.

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Chinese starting defender Sun Jihai said China is a better team than Costa Rica and would have won the first game if he were not injured, a Chinese newspaper reported on Tuesday.

"Costa Rica is not a strong team. Not at all. I would say China is lucky to meet such team as Costa Rica at its debut match," Sun was quoted as saying by the mass-circulation newspaper Sports Weekly.

"When I was on the field, I thought we were going to win the match, at least picking up one point from the game. I thought the final score would be 2-0 in Chinese favor," the 25-year-old defender told the paper.

Sun, who will play for the English Premier club Manchester City next season, had played only 17 minutes in Tuesday's game before he was scythed down by Mauricio Solis on a break-through. China lost eventually 2-0.

He could not run or touch the ball in the next eight minutes and was replaced by Qu Bo.

As a permanent starter in China's lineup, Sun was not sure whether he could play in China's next game against Brazil on June 8.

"I felt really good before I was injured. But Solis wiped me off," he told the paper.

"We were too nervous in the first game in the World Cup. I don't think Costa Rica could score two goals if it was not in the World Cup finals," he added.

"If I could recover for next game, I will show the world what is the best game of China. Costa Rica was lucky to win the game."

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