Editorial | 7 reasons for poor China to bounce back
The only way is up for men’s football team in World Cup quest after being crushed by Japan and a 2-1 defeat to 10-man Saudi Arabia
China’s men’s football team have often been described as having hit rock bottom. But they plunged new depths last week with a humiliating 7-0 hammering at the hands of arch regional rivals Japan.
This is the team’s worst defeat in a World Cup qualifier. China only managed one shot on goal.
New coach Branko Ivankovic put it mildly when he spoke of “a tough match”.
The loss was followed by a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, despite the opposition having a player sent off.
China’s long-suffering fans have become accustomed to failure. The team failed to get through the group stages of the AFC Asian Cup finals earlier this year for only the second time.
Supporters chanted “shame” after a defeat and two draws. This came after an unsuccessful bid to qualify for the World Cup finals in 2022, in which hopes were ended by an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to Vietnam.
