World Cup-winning coach Tina Theune-Meyer has backed slumping
China to confound the critics with a last-four finish at this
year's women's showpiece.
Theune-Meyer said the hosts, a young team with poor recent
results, could emulate Germany, who were surprise semi-finalists at
last year's men's World Cup.
"Everybody said Germany didn't have a chance but they had a good
team and exactly at that moment they prepared well," said
Theune-Meyer, who coached Germany's women to the 2003 title.
"I think it could happen again here."
China have a proud history in women's football, taking silver at
the 1996 Olympics and narrowly missing out on the world title three
years later.
But the Steel Roses have wilted of late, plunging to ninth in
the rankings with four straight defeats in the recent Algarve
Cup.
Veteran coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors, who took Sweden to the
2003 final, was appointed last month and has the job of recapturing
China's former glories.
The Swede will be watching from the stands as China, marshaled
by assistant coach Wang Haiming, take on Theune-Meyer's
international All-Stars in a promotional match late on
Saturday.
"I believe she will bring new ideas from Europe," said striker
Han Duan.
"We know the current trend is for fiercer one-on-one competition
and I'm sure she'll give us something in this regard."
Theune-Meyer said China were in a rebuilding phase but had time
to turn their fortunes around before the World Cup in
September.
"They have to be patient. There's more than five months to go
and they have a very young team," she said.
"They will reach the semi-finals, I'm sure. They have the
ability, they're agile, they improvise and they have the fitness.
They have everything."
Captain Li Jie admitted China lacked experience, but said they
had the talent to be competitive.
"The biggest problem for China now is most of the players are
very young and they're not so experienced," said the defender.
"But I think every one of us has the potential to contribute our
part on the field."
The one-off All-Stars match is a prelude to the World Cup draw
on Sunday, when 16 teams will be split into groups for the
September 10-30 tournament.
(CRI via AFP April 21, 2007)