[September 5, 2011, Beijing] In the just-concluded Qatar
World Cup
The Chinese men's soccer team suffered a 0-3 loss against Australia in the first round of the Asian Zone 12 tournament. After the result was announced, some media platforms released news that the Chinese team did not display the team flag on the eve of the match, a behavior that was considered unprofessional. In response, veteran sports journalist Zhao Zhen stepped forward to refute this.
Zhao Zhen points out in his article:
With the rise of self media, some misinterpreted facts are magnified and spread. For example, in yesterday's China-Australia match, the opening scene was captured by the self media, which then verbally attacked the Chinese team for not displaying the team flag. However, what is the truth? Due to the new crown epidemic, the AFC made a point of not exchanging team flags or shaking hands before each match. The Chinese team strictly adhered to this rule, but the Australian team was a bit "careless" and failed to adjust in time.
As a matter of fact, the Chinese team has meticulously prepared team flags for every game. In this day and age, while we may not be able to match our rivals in terms of ball skills, we can never lag behind in terms of logistics.
