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China out to prove WCup run no fluke
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AMBITIOUS China is out to prove that reaching the third round of the 2018 World Cup qualifying was no fluke when it takes on bogey side South Korea today.
China scraped through thanks to its shock 2-0 win over Qatar and the Philippines’ almighty 3-2 upset of North Korea on the last day of round two.
It means that China, which boasts Asia’s most expensive league and whose tycoons are snapping up football assets around the globe, is within shouting distance of the World Cup in Russia.
The top two in each of Asia’s two groups of six will qualify for the World Cup, while the third-placed sides will face each other for the right to play an intercontinental playoff.
Perennial under-achiever China has only ever reached one World Cup, in 2002, but it has set its sights on hosting and even winning the competition.
First it will need to upset the odds against South Korea, which has reached nine World Cups — and has lost just once to China in the past 30 years.
Coach Gao Hongbo said underdog China was taking heart from its women’s volleyball team, which upset the odds, and Serbia in the final, to win the gold medal at the Rio Olympics.
“Everyone in Korean football thinks that within Chinese football we lack fighting spirit and we give up easily,” Gao said, according to the ESPN FC website.
“But I’m hoping this time we can show an improvement in this area.
“China’s women’s volleyball team won the Olympic gold medal as an underdog in Rio. They fought with solidarity, and realized all of their potential.
Best role model
“They are the best role model for us, and we have been inspired greatly by them. Now it is our show.”
Some 30,000 Chinese fans are expected at Seoul World Cup Stadium but hosts South Korea will start as strong favorites after they breezed through the second round.
“There are no easy teams in the final round,” warned Korea’s coach Uli Steilike, according to Yonhap news agency. “China have recently pulled up their FIFA rankings and they are a competitive team.”
Asian champion Australia opens with a tricky assignment against Iraq in Perth before flying to UAE, where it will play Mahdi Ali’s side on Tuesday.
“We kind of pride ourselves on being already prepared for the challenges, then nothing is a surprise,” said coach Ange Postecoglou, according to the Socceroos website.
“We’ve trialled this kind of scenario of playing in Australia and going into the Middle East a couple of days later. We know exactly what works, we know exactly how our players adapt.”
UAE, organizer of the next Asian Cup, also has a globe-trotting schedule as it plays Japan in Saitama today before heading home to face Australia.
Also today, Iran takes on 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar in a heavyweight clash in Tehran.
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