The future looks so dim for China's national soccer team even the fans have lost faith.
"We are numb. We have no tears anymore," said one anonymous comment on Sina.com after China's woeful 2-1 loss to Iraq at home eliminated it from the 2010 World Cup.
"We do not see any hope for China's soccer. We doubt whether China will be able to make it to the World Cup finals again any time in the foreseeable future."
Chinese football players leave the pitch after losing to Iraq 1-2 during the FIFA World Cup 2010 soccer qualifying match in Tianjin June 14, 2008. [Photo: Osports.cn]
China has only qualified for the World Cup finals once - in South Korea and Japan in 2002. It was knocked out in the first round without scoring a goal.
Now, some are saying China's only hope of making it to another World Cup final is if the nation is awarded hosting honors of the international soccer gala.
But others scoff at the idea of China as a World Cup host, convinced Chinese soccer will just lose more face.
"Even if we are in a World Cup final, I'm afraid it will just become a stage to highlight our embarrassment," wrote another anonymous commenter.
"We are not playing modern soccer. We are playing ugly soccer. Please do not display it in such a beautiful soccer tournament."
Shot in the foot
A commentator on Titan Sports declared China's soccer team had shot itself in the foot and said the China Football Association (CFA) should take all the responsibility.
"We were not killed by other stronger teams. The truth is we were killed by ourselves once again," said famous sports commentator Zhou Wenyuan.
"We made stupid mistakes in selecting coaches. CFA officials are only focused on how to move up the political ladder rather than how to develop at a grassroots level.
"It's the most humiliating failure for China's soccer. It's also the most unforgivable failure."
China has scored a meager two goals in its five matches in the so-called "group of death", which also includes Qatar and Australia. China has one more match away against Australia, but since the Aussies have already advanced and China is eliminated, the match will be meaningless.
It is the worst record China has compiled in its World Cup Asian Zone qualifying history.
Confused coaching
CFA boss Xie Yalong is at the center of fan's ire. The CFA selected two Serbian coaches to lead the team - head coach Ratomir Dujkovic and managing coach Vladimir Petrovic - to the dismay of fans hoping for a coach more attuned to the Chinese style of play.
In the end, the coaches' unpredictable coaching style led to an ever-changing starting lineup, leading to confusion and resentment among players.
"Every match, we find there are five to six different players around you," complained one player, who refused to be identified. "It's impossible to play with good teamwork.
"We are not united and we are at a loss as to how to play since our two coaches use different tactics."
The bizarre arrangement between the two coaches and the undefined role each led to widespread confusion on the pitch.
"I do not have the right to select the players. I am the coach of the team but the truth is I have no right to determine the lineup," Petrovic complained to reporter from Titan.
Petrovic was named China's head coach last August even though the CFA wanted the nation's Olympic coach Dujkovic to manage both teams.
"We cannot blame Petrovic or Dujkovic too much. CFA is to blame. CFA made stupid decisions over and over again," said a comment on Titan.
Petrovic, meanwhile, has accepted all the blame for his side's failure.
"Of course I am responsible, I have a lot of responsibility, but as far as what kind of responsibility, that is up to the football association to decide," Petrovic said.
Petrovic's future is uncertain, but Dujkovic is set to return to the Olympic team and hopes to lead it to at least the semifinals in Beijing.
Dujkovic, for his part, refused to take any responsibility for China's loss, insisting the team was just not lucky enough.
"I refused to take the job as the national team head coach several times because I am still in the Olympic team post.
"I finally came to coach the national team with a hope to do something good for them. Actually coaching the national team is not my obligation because my contract with CFA is to coach the Olympic team," Dujkovic said.
"Looking at the past few months, it has been difficult to do two jobs at the same time.
"I hope people do not lose hope in China's soccer team. We are not as bad as the results show. We had a chance to win in every match. Fans and media don't have to get pessimistic."
National team sacrificed
In last week's 1-0 loss at home to Qatar, China fielded a team largely made up of under-23 players, who will represent China at the Beijing Olympics, prompting the media to suggest the CFA had already given up on China's World Cup hopes.
Some reports also said the national team was sacrificed for the good of the Olympic team, as an Olympic semifinal has long been the top task of CFA officials.
The political futures of CFA officials are more closely linked to the Olympic team's performance rather than the national team's results during the World Cup qualifier, which has fueled much of the speculation.
(China Daily June 17, 2008)