China, the most populous nation in the world, capped the most splendid year in its sports history when its national soccer team reached the World Cup finals for the first time in 2001. Beating a 44-year-old jinx following a series of heartbreaking near-misses, China has finally come to the promised land of soccer.
Bora Milutinovic, known as "The Miracle Worker" for having guided Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States and Nigeria into the second round of past World Cup finals, steered the Chinese team to a convincing run of 12 victories, one draw and one defeat throughout the Asian qualifiers.
Path to Finals Far More Bumpy
Yet the path to next year's finals was far more bumpy than it seemed. China displayed a shaky form with only one win and two draws out of nine friendly matches early this year, triggering doubt about Milutinovic's ability of curing the struggling Chinese soccer.
But Milutinovic believed the young Chinese team should make progress through playing games just like the United States team did before the 1994 finals, where the Americans surpassed expectations by reaching the second round.
"Results for me right now don't matter," Milutinovic said after his side lost to Egypt, Iran and the Untied States in a row in January.
"Right now, I am looking for the right players, trying to play as many games as possible, getting the team some experience."
"All of these friendliness are valuable for us. I don't have the time I had with the United States to prepare as I would like to. I had 92 games between 1991-1994 with the U.S., but we are making progress," said the 57-year-old Yugoslav.
China cruised through the first round of the qualifying competition with a 100 percent record. But failure to rout the minnows of the Maldives and Cambodia in the first phase has provided further ammunition to the critics.
Ups and Downs During Coaching in China
There were regular booing and chants of "Milutinovic go home" when his team conceded odd goals to their lowly rivals.
Despite the clamoring of the removal of Milutinovic from the public, Chinese soccer officials have adopted a rare hands-off attitude, giving Milutinovic all the leeway to transform his team.
"Milutinovic has the final say in everything concerning the coaching," said Yan Shiduo, vice president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA).
"We must be absolutely subject to him in training and competition arrangements."
The team's below-par performances also dampened the nation's excitement over China's lucky grouping in the final qualifying round, where they avoided old nemeses Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as the 2002 joint hosts, Japan and South Korea, who qualified automatically.
The lucky draw, many feared, created as much opportunity for China to lose face as to make history.
Weakness of Chinese Team
The mounting World Cup anxieties all over the country made Milutinovic well aware that China's repeated failures to qualify for the World Cup finals rest more with the psyche than with skills and tactics.
Milutinovic, knowing the importance of a relaxed atmosphere for such a psychologically weak team, has been instilling the ideas of "happy soccer" and "enjoying soccer" among Chinese players since his takeover in 2000.
His loose training approach, like playing games with his players on the practice field, however, was also blasted by the fastidious fans and media.
A lot of criticism, such as "Milutinovic fiddles around with playing games" and "Training or playing", congested newspapers and BBS on the Internet.
The headstrong Milutinovic responded to a do-or-die ultimatum from the Chinese soccer circle by vowing to jump off the Great Wall if his team couldn't make the finals.
Milutinovic's experience finally tempered the critic's impatience when his side displayed consistency and confidence sorely lacking in the past to secure the World Cup finals berth with two matches left to play.
Historic Breakthrough
The historic breakthrough has not only sent the soccer-mad country into ecstasy once again three months after China was awarded the right to stage its first Olympic Games in 2008 in July, but led to nationwide worship of Milutinovic who helped China realize its long-awaited dream.
Hailed by Chinese Fans
The globetrotting Milutinovic is hailed now as a savior by the same fans and media who called for his dismissal during months of below-par performances.
As China is drawn in group C along with four-times world champion Brazil, Turkey and Costa Rica at next year's finals, Chinese people don't really expect the fifth team that Milutinovic will coach at a World Cup finals to get through the group stage.
Hopes Ahead
Milutinovic also admitted that hopes China can reach the second round might be over optimistic.
"China will certainly be a major force in the years to come, but for the moment it is too early. We are short of experience on the international level," he said.
But in Chinese people's heart, hopes have never run higher. All believe that Milutinovic can help the team make a shining World Cup debut.
Who can say for sure the "magical" Milutinovic would not create anther wonder?
( December 17, 2001)
