China into Paralympic men's goalball final again after 2008

TOKYO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China men's goalball team crushed the United States 8-1 on Thursday to head into the Paralympic Games final for the first time since winning gold at Beijing 2008.

The United States took an early lead with only 13 seconds played, but never got the chance to score again. Yang Mingyuan of China scored three goals before half-time to make it 3-1.

In the second half, Hu Mingyao scored twice, while Yang pocketed another three goals to assure China of a place in the final.

"We are really happy and excited," veteran Chen Liangliang said.

"It doesn't matter if we win gold or silver," Cai Changui added. "We are satisfied with our performance."

"We managed to deliver what we had practised in training," Yang said. "We are well-prepared for the match. We have watched videos of the United States."

At the Beijing Paralympics, China won gold in the men's goalball after beating the United States 4-0 in the semifinal. When asked if China could do that again, Yang replied, "We will do the best we can."