Progressing Chinese Soccer Embraces Breakthroughs

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 27, 2002

Progressing Chinese Soccer Embraces Breakthroughs

China, a sleeping giant in soccer, has awakened in 2002 with a string of historical breakthroughs by the national team, talented players, referees and the authorities.

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China, a sleeping giant in soccer, has awakened in 2002 with a string of historical breakthroughs by the national team, talented players, referees and the authorities.

Materializing a dream amidst 44-year pursuit with hardship and pains of generations, China made its epoch-making appearance in the World Cup finals this summer.

Although the World Cup debutants lost all group matches to eventual winners Brazil, bronze medalists Turkey and Costa Rica even without a single goal, the fact itself to compete in the World Cup finals was already a landmark for the progressing Chinese soccer.

Recalling the seven attempts to the World Cup finals dating back to the games in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1957, China had played against 26 opponents in 67 matches altogether for 46 wins, seven draws and 14 losses, scoring 146 goals against 52 allowed.

The success at last was mainly attributed to the professionalization jump-started by the China Football Association (CFA) nine years ago, and special credits to charismatic Yugoslav coach Bora Milutinovic.

The Yugoslav has exerted "magic power" as he sent Mexico, CostaRica, the United States and Nigeria to not only the World Cup finals but also the knock-out stages in 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 respectively.

His legend continued when he led the Chinese squad to wind up an unbelievable easy qualifying for the 2002 World Cup finals with five wins, one draw and two games yet to play, and helped the Chinese to overcome their chronic psychological instability during his two-year stint, which had historically cost the Chinese too many fathomable do-or-die matches against weaker opponents, such as losses to Hong Kong, China, in 1985 and Qatar in 1997.

He introduced his therapy with a theory of "happy football" which guaranteed the normal play of Chinese footballers in crucial duels. His motto "attitude decides everything" also became the most popular saying in China after it secured the World Cup ticket.

In a sense, Milutinovic's "magic power" also worked in the beneficial lot-drawing which enabled China to avoid both Saudi Arabia and Iran, the only other two soccer powerhouses in Asia besides World Cup co-hosts South Korea and Japan.

China thus came out reasonably as the strongest in Asian qualifying Group B, which also bracketed the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Uzbekistan.

However, Milutinovic failed to clap his magic fingers again in the World Cup finals where individual skills, soccer tactics and teamwork of the Chinese nationals became pale against all others, not only the soccer giants but also their Asian neighbors South Korea and Japan.

Their lackluster show at the World Cup resulted in the step-down of Milutinovic, shadowing his miracle of leading all his players of different countries to advance beyond group stage.

While the Chinese eleven dampened the hearts of many a home fans at the World Cup, a pair of Chinese talents did catch the sights of big foreign clubs. After the World Cup, attacking defender Sun Jihai and midfielder Li Tie were recruited by Manchester City and Everton respectively.

For the first time, Chinese soccer players have been making the English premier league, one of the world's top leagues. Both Sun and Li, the MVP in 2001 in China, have been winning their starting line-ups abroad, with Sun even scoring twice to cheer up his club as well as millions of Chinese fans.

Breakthrough was also achieved by Lu Jun, winner of "Asian Golden Whistle", as the first Chinese referee in the World Cup history to officiate two games. His brilliant performance was also highly recognized by the soccer world governing body FIFA.

In the other ends, the CFA declared a war before the World Cup finals to clean up the sport of soccer in China, against scandals of bribery to referees in its domestic leagues, which is being tagged as "black whistle" in China.

Thus, referee Gong Jianping from Beijing became the first to bear rested in April for taking such dirty money as the legislation made its first access into the soccer field. Sun Peiyan, a former CFA staff, was also on the wanted list as a go-between in the briberies.

While vowing for a clean scenery for the healthy growth of Chinese soccer, the China's soccer governing body also decided in its recent CFA meeting to launch intensive and even harsh training for players, instead of casual routines introduced by Milutinovic, to switch the attention from temporary scores to overall capabilities.

The sentiments were echoed within higher echelons of the Chinese soccer officials, with some declaring that "Chinese footballers were still far away from the appropriate level to 'enjoy' football."

After the World Cup, the CFA also completed its five-month search and selected 54-year-old Dutchman Arie Haan among 22 candidates to succeed Milutinovic as Chinese soccer head coach.

Haan, who had 35 caps for the Netherlands, including the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, had coached clubs in Belgium, Germany and Greece, but never any national squad despite his great achievements he often brought a team in the relegation scope to the top group.

CFA vice president Nan Yong explained that "Haan is expected to coach the Chinese team through the next World Cup qualifying. And his contract will be extended if he leads China to the World Cup finals."

Besides a World Cup berth, the CFA also hopes Haan do well at the 2004 Asian Cup, to be hosted by China.

Haan, who recently came to Beijing to finalize the contract, said "when I know more about the Chinese soccer, we'll have some goals. I believe we can have a good result at the Asian Cup, and to qualify for the Germany World Cup in 2006. I have a lot of confidence to do it."

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