Top News

Can Gao save Chinese soccer?

By Tang Zhe (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-08 09:49
Large Medium Small

Can Gao save Chinese soccer?

Head coach of Chinese Men's soccer team Gao Hongbo talks to team members during a warm-up game in Kunming city, Yunnan province, June 19, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

Despite inconsistent performances, coach remains upbeat about team's future, Tang Zhe writes in Nanjing

China coach Gao Hongbo remains unfazed despite two ordinary performances from the team following this year's World Cup. "Our target is to secure qualifying for the 2014 World Cup (in Brazil)," Gao said in an exclusive interview with China Daily in Zhengzhou before flying to Nanjing ahead of last night's game against Paraguay.

"Every game before next June, including the Asian Cup, is a warm-up process for the World Cup qualifiers, which means we do not set specific goals for those games," he said following Friday's a 2-0 loss to Asian rival Iran.

Related readings:
Can Gao save Chinese soccer? China takes East Asian Championship
Can Gao save Chinese soccer? Bahrain hold China 1-1 in soccer friendly
Can Gao save Chinese soccer? Bahrain friendly kicks off run-up to Asian Cup
Can Gao save Chinese soccer? Go, Chinese soccer

Since assuming the post on May 4, 2009, Gao, the youngest-ever men's national team head coach at age 44, has been under unprecedented pressure and also heavy criticism in his mission to steer the squad back on the right track.

Although he says he has grown used to constant criticism during his 15-month tenure, he also said: "Chinese soccer has been on a downhill path over the past six years

"Soccer is the most complicated sport in the world and it is hard to explain where the problem comes from. If you could figure out the problem, it would have been solved already."

He asked the team's fans to be patient and not judge the team too quickly.

"People should lower their expectations," Gao said.

However, there is not much time left for Gao and his team to prove themselves. In October next year, China will start its next campaign for a World Cup berth. Before that, the country will take part in the Asian Cup in Doha in January.

"We will finish player selection and strategy establishment (for qualifying) by the Asian Cup," Gao said.

Gao's squad is mainly made up of young players born after 1980, a huge facelift to the previous lineup which included a lot of veterans.

When asked about former national team captains Zheng Zhi, who currently plays for domestic second-tier team Guangzhou Hengda, and Li Weifeng, who plays in the K-League and has expressed a strong desire to play for the nation again, Gao said: "Soccer is not traditional Chinese medicine. The elder ones are not necessarily better. You need passion, creativity and courage to play soccer. The team needs updating all the time. Age is not a major concern.

"There is no age difference in soccer. The decisive element is whether the player can develop with the game."

Now, a new generation of players has come to the fore. Gao is not afraid to face criticism about his choice of young players, in particular Hao Junmin from Schalke, the only Chinese footballer playing in one of the top four European leagues, after a lackluster performance during the game against Bahrain.

"Du Wei, Qu Bo and Yang Zhi are the team's backbone, and Rong Hao, Deng Zhuoxiang and Yang Hao are China's future," Gao said. "Soccer requires teamwork. One man can't decide a team's destiny, although he can make a difference at certain times."

Gao said China was still looking for its own style of play.

"The playing style reflects a nation's understanding of a particular sport, like Mercedes-Benz designs its cars based on a long-term understanding of the industry," he said.

"Our soccer is still in the start-period and it's impossible to define a style. But we can't simply copy any style of another country, like we can't copy the American economic system. We have to find our own path."

Over the past year, Gao's team has shown improvement, with an East Asian championship and victories over South Korea and France.

"First of all, we must stop the gap from widening, and I'm confident Chinese football will return to the top flight in Asia," the coach said.

He has received tips from his Asian colleagues.

"Building confidence and bodies should be the priorities of China," said Afshin Ghotbi, head coach of Iran. "Players from West Asia are more talented than East Asians in the last kick, so East Asian teams have to create more opportunities to score."

According to a poll launched by web portal sina.com after the friendly with Iran, 52.9 percent of Chinese fans believe feel it is impossible for China to become an Asian powerhouse while only 10.7 percent have an optimistic view.

主站蜘蛛池模板: 狠狠色狠狠色综合日日五| 在线观看91精品国产入口| 日本一本高清视频| 国产成人黄网在线免| 99精品在线观看| 惩罚憋尿花蒂揉搓震动| 久久亚洲综合色| 最新黄色免费网站| 再深点灬舒服灬太大| 韩国一级毛片在线观看| 国产欧美在线不卡| 18欧美乱大交| 国内不卡1区2区| a级毛片高清免费视频| 嫩小xxxxx性bbbbb孕妇| 中文字幕伊人久久网| 日本口工全彩无遮拦漫画大| 久久精品青草社区| 最近中文字幕无| 亚洲人成日本在线观看| 欧美日韩亚洲国内综合网香蕉| 亚洲综合在线观看视频| 香蕉视频在线观看www| 天天射天天色天天干| 中国一级特黄大片毛片| 无码国产精品一区二区免费模式| 亚洲欧美7777| 特黄aaaaaaaaa及毛片| 国产卡一卡二贰佰| 99爱免费观看视频在线| 好吊妞精品视频| 一级毛片视频在线| 成人午夜又粗又硬有大| 亚洲AV高清在线观看一区二区| 欧美成人免费在线视频| 亚洲欧美日韩丝袜另类| 污污的视频在线播放| 四虎成人精品在永久免费| 超清高清欧美videos| 国产亚洲精品bt天堂精选| 韩国在线观看一区二区三区|