The prospects of the national women's soccer team at September's
World Cup finals in China are now looking catastrophic as
preparations slide into chaos, something made humiliatingly clear
after a 4-1 defeat to Iceland last night.
Four straight losses at the ongoing Algarve Cup in Portugal have
highlighted the stiff challenges facing the former world-beaters,
while uncertainty over who is leading and picking the team resulted
in directionless, disastrous play.
"I do not know what kind of measures the China Football
Association (CFA) will take after the tournament. I also have no
idea how they will select the players and organize training," said
Wang Haiming, caretaker coach in place of head coach Ma Liangxing,
who took sick leave on January 18 citing heart trouble.
Wang Haiming
Eyebrows were raised over the manner and timing of Ma's
departure, with many choosing to see it as a protest by Ma against
interference from CFA officials.
"It is improper for a national head coach to leave his post
shortly before an important tournament," a key official with the
CFA was quoted as saying in China Sports Daily last
week.
"If this happened during the World Cup or Olympics, how could
the team hope to qualify?," he added.
Further complicating the affair, German coach Eckhard Krautzun
also quit the team last week citing health problems, just months
after taking his post.
"I hope to come back to China one day, but right now I must take
care of my health," said the well-traveled coach before his
departure, without specifying the nature of his illness.
Krautzun joined the team in January as a consultant. He had
never coached women's soccer, but had managed half a dozen
Bundesliga teams and five national sides - Canada, South Korea,
Tunisia, Kenya and the Philippines. His China experience had also
seen Krautzun oversee men's youth teams.
At the center of the dispute is the issue of player selection,
and the role of team manager Li Feiyu.
Experienced players were dropped and replaced with youngsters,
and two warm-up defeats in a row before the Algarve Cup hardly
spread confidence.
According to reports Li rowed with coach Ma, and used his
influence to drop experienced center-back Yuan Fan.
Oriental Sports Daily reported that Yuan had been a key
part in Ma's team, but that Li dismissed her for alleged claims of
slacking off during training.?
The report described Yuan as a scapegoat in the clash between Ma
and Li, and quoted Ma as saying that "sometimes, the coaching team
has no right to make decisions."
Caretaker coach Wang was invited to attend the nationwide team
selection in February, but he also claimed that he had little power
to make decisions.
"If I am named head coach, I hope the CFA will give me the right
to choose the national team players," he was quoted as saying on
Sina.com.
"If we play the World Cup with the current players, it will be
dangerous. "Many players are young, most of them with only two or
three international caps, they must endure some setbacks before
growing up. I hope they can take something positive from
defeat."
Wang could also not explain why the CFA had not yet named a head
coach.
"I do not know why. I think the announcement is behind schedule.
Whoever gets the nod, it is very important to name someone as soon
as possible. The team will suffer even bigger defeats if no head
coach is in position."
A list of potential replacements has included former French
national coach Elisabeth Loisel and Tina Theune-Meyer, who led
Germany to victory at the 2003 World Cup, according to reports.
However, Theune-Meyer has turned down the job since financial
rewards would involve matching the association's ambition of seeing
team reach the World Cup semifinals, the reports said.
A frustrated Wang addressed the issue, decrying the fact that
even a high-profile foreign coach would find it difficult to turn
the team's fortunes round.
"The women's team has lagged far behind the world's top teams.
Whoever takes the post, I do not think it will make any
difference."
China was defeated by the United States and Sweden in the first
two matches at the friendly tournament in Portugal, results that
were disappointing but not embarrassing given the strength of the
opposition.
However, a 2-0 defeat to Finland on Tuesday stunned Chinese
media who launched a barrage of criticism at the team, known as the
"steel roses" for their exploits in previous World Cups
"This must be a new low," said Titan Sports. "Losing
2-0 to northern Europe's weakest team is just unheard of."
The media ridiculed the CFA for saying the team should be able
to win the World Cup.
"With six months to go before the World Cup, what are they
thinking setting their sights on a gold medal and demanding a
semifinal place as a minimum," asked the paper.
Former international player and World Cup runner-up Liu Ailing
further said it would take a long time for the women's team to get
back on track.
"I think the team will be dealt another blow if they disappoint
at the World Cup. Avoid putting pressure on them and allow them
more time to improve," she told Beijing Morning Post.
China have plummeted to ninth place in women's football rankings
in the years since lost the 1999 World Cup Final to the US by just
one goal.
"The CFA officials should take full responsibility. The decline
in women's football is not bad luck - it's a result of human
error," said an incendiary report in the China Youth
Daily. "Officials always want to gamble by naming head coaches
without experience."
(China Daily via AFP March 15, 2007)
