Tonight, July 22nd, at 20:00 Beijing time, the horn of the Group D battle was blown on the green field in Perth, Australia, China's women's football team ushered in the challenge of the European powerhouse Denmark's women's football team, and a key battle for the fate of the group is about to begin.
The China Central Radio and Television Sports Channel (CCTV5) started its live broadcast 25 minutes before the match, and the Chinese Super League had to temporarily give way. And through platforms such as CCTV5APP, Migu Video and Aqiyi Sports, fans can enjoy the excitement of the match anytime, anywhere.
Although China's women's soccer team doesn't get that much attention on weekdays, with attendance in the Super League far lower than in the Chinese Super League, whenever news of a victory comes in, those self-proclaimed fans of women's soccer pop up out of nowhere, sharing their victories only in their circle of friends, and making cynical remarks about the national soccer team in the process. And once they suffer a loss, they choose to remain silent, not to mention paying attention to the personal lives of the players.
Despite regaining the title they lost for 16 years at the 2022 Asian Cup, the overall strength of the Chinese women's soccer team has slipped in tandem with that of the Chinese men's over the past two decades.
Currently ranked 14th in the world, the Chinese women's soccer team is facing the 13th-ranked Danish women's soccer team, the fourth-ranked England women's soccer team in the group stage, and the 53rd-ranked Haitian women's soccer team, which is participating in the World Cup for the first time.The top two teams in the group will advance to the round of 16, and the Chinese women's soccer team's goal is to get out of the group stage. In order to do so, they must avoid defeat and at least try for a draw.
The two teams have met four times in history, including the first Women's World Cup, where the Chinese women's soccer team drew 2-2 with Denmark at home, the 1995 World Cup, where the Chinese women's soccer team won 3-1, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where the Chinese women's soccer team won 5-1, and the most recent meeting in 2007, where the Chinese women's soccer team narrowly won 3-2.
It is worth mentioning that Sun Wen, a senior member of the Chinese Football Association, will be present to cheer for the team. Facing the rise of European women's soccer, the strength of the Danish women's soccer team is not what it used to be.
The team coached by Shui Qingxia is almost at full strength, with Wang Shanshan and Wang Shuang leading the "Wang Bomb" combination ready to go. Captain Wu Haiyan and young players such as Zhang Linyan are expected to start. Wuhan Chegujiang women's soccer team Lou Jiahui, Zhang Rui, Gu Yasha and other champions, as well as Shen Mengyu, who plays in Europe, are the backbone of the team.
May the Clanging Roses forge brilliance with the spirit of hard work, and cheer for the Chinese women's soccer team, looking forward to their opening!
