China team page
Squad
Coach: Marika Domanski-Lyfors
Roster
Goalkeepers: Zhan Yanru, Han Wenxia, Xu Meishuang
Defenders: Liu Yali, Li Jie, Pu Wei, Zhou Gaoping, Weng Xinzhi, Wang Kun, Zhang Ying
Midfielders: Xie Caixia, Bi Yan, Zhang Tong, Qu Feifei, Pan Lina, Song Xiaoli, Li Dongna
Forwards: Ma Xiaoxu, Han Duan, Liu Sa, Zhang Ouying
Scouting report
Current world ranking: 11th (third in AFC)
Strengths: China comes into the tournament as the 2006 Asian Cup champions after capturing their first title since 2001 with a penalty shootout win over Australia. They are a quick, technically gifted, disciplined side with lots of unleashed potential. Former Sweden World Cup coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors was hired as China's first foreign-born bench boss with the hope she can correct some of the flat and yo-yo performances China has experienced, as well as bringing out more style and creativity in the players. The Steel Roses boast a pair of dynamic strikers in Han Duan and 19-year-old Ma Xiaoxu, a duo the local media has dubbed "Hanma," the Chinese word for Humvee. Han is a national team veteran at only 24, while Ma is an emerging star. Ma played a portion of the last season in Sweden along with Brazil's Marta and was named the most valuable player of the 2006 Asian Cup. She won both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe trophies at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup as the tournament's top player and top scorer. China finished second to North Korea at the event.
Weaknesses: Inconsistency. The team that came on top at the hotly contested Asian Cup was the same one that finished a jaw-dropping 10th at the 2007 Algarve Cup. At Algarve, China had respectable performances (one-goal losses to world powers Sweden and the U.S.) as well as embarrassing defeats (4-1 to Iceland). There is also immense pressure as the host nation to finish with a medal, if not a championship. That's a load of responsibility to put on a team that has done a lot of underachieving since bowing out of the 2003 World Cup quarter-finals. Han Duan and Ma Xiaoxu score the majority of goals for China and will get extra attention from opposing defenders. The Steel Roses will need to find another producer or two if they expect to go deep in the tournament.
Player to watch: Han Duan. The five-foot-six striker is a great technician with pace to boot. And despite her size, she is deadly in the air on set pieces. Just 24, Han has been suiting up for the Steel Roses for seven years already.
Prognosis: Since the inaugural World Cup, China has always been a tournament favourite along with the United States, Norway and Germany, but gradually other countries have caught up. China will have a battle on its hands for positioning in this group, but should advance to the quarter-finals. If they don't, it will be a major disappointment.
ROAD TO THE WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
2007 qualification route: China qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup automatically as host.
Qualification record: 5 matches played, 4 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss
Goals for: 7 Goals against: 3
Top goal scorer in qualifying: Ma Xiaoxu (4)
Qualifying results:
Round robin (Group A): in Adelaide, Australia
July 19, 2006: China PR 2, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) 0
July 21, 2006: Vietnam 0, China PR 2
July 23, 2006: China PR 0, Japan 1
Final rounds (knock-out format): in Adelaide, Australia
Semifinal
July 27, 2006: China PR 1, North Korea 0
Final
July 30, 2006: Australia 2, China PR 2: China wins 4-2 in a penalty kick shootout..
Women's World Cup 1st round matches (all times local)
Sept. 12: China vs. Denmark in Wuhan (Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium) at 2000
Sept. 15: Brazil vs. China in Wuhan (Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium) at 2000
Sept. 19: China vs. New Zealand in Tianjin (Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium) at 2000
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP HISTORY
China hosted the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991, making it to the quarter-finals before losing to China. The Steel Roses placed fourth at the 1995 tournament in Sweden and were runners-up in 1999 after losing to the Unites States in a thrilling penalty kick shootout. China was scheduled to host its second World Cup tournament in 2003, but after an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the country, the event was moved to the U.S. There, the Steel Roses made it to the quarter-finals before being upset by Canada.
Number of previous Women's World Cup appearances: 4
Hosted the Women's World Cup: 1991 and were supposed to host in 2003 before an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) forced the tournament to be moved to the United States
1991: Quarter-finals
1995: Fourth
1999: Runner-up
2003: Quarter-finals
