The drums of war are beating, and before the Olympics have even kicked off, the women's soccer tournament is the first to ignite.
Our women's soccer team went through a tough time, and with their tenacity, they narrowly escaped a fierce duel with the South Korean women's soccer team to win a valuable Olympic ticket.
However, when it comes to the Olympic Games, the real challenge has just begun.
Facing the Netherlands (4th), Brazil (7th) and Zambia (104th) in Group F, our women's soccer team will not only have to beat Zambia, but also need to create a miracle in the Netherlands or Brazil in order to come out on top, which is difficult to say the least.
Yesterday afternoon, China's women's soccer team faced Brazil in the group stage.
Although the country's women's soccer team does not have an advantage in international rankings (15 vs 7) or head-to-head history (1 win, 6 draws, 5 losses), the last time it beat Brazil was 25 years ago at the Atlanta Olympics.
In this match, captain Wu Haiyan is out due to a knee injury, with Wang Frost and Wang Shanshan taking the lead.
On the Brazilian side, Marta, 35, and Formiga, 43, led the way with a slightly older look.
At the beginning of the match, our women's soccer team lost the goal. In the 9th minute, a Brazilian player intercepted the ball and headed the ball to the goal, Li Qingtong missed the ball, and Marta scored a supplementary shot.
Brazil 1-0 for our team.
Brazil extended their lead 12 minutes later when Debinha picked up the ball and scored.
Our women's soccer team also had chances to equalize the score, but both Wang Frost and Miao Shiwen's shots were blocked by the opponents.
In the second half, our women's soccer team's counterattack was slightly weak, and many shots were blocked by the goal post.
Brazil, on the other hand, maintained their strong first half, scoring again in the 74th, 80th and 89th minutes.
The final whistle blew, 0-5! China's women's soccer team went out with a bang and lost to their opponents.
Despite the fact that Brazil is a traditional powerhouse, our women's soccer team lost by a 0-5 margin, an unacceptable result.
Head coach Jia Xiuquan was questioned after the game.
There are three main challenges listed by the national media:
First, the competition is practicing new recruits. Many of the goals conceded by our women's soccer team are related to the right back junior Li Qingtong, and the primary mistakes are hard for the fans to accept.
The second is the lineup. Wang Frost, from the best position forward, was adjusted to the side, unable to play to advantage.
Thirdly, the front line is powerless. Tang Jiali, a good offensive player, has not been selected for the national team, resulting in the lack of a sharp blade in the offense of our women's soccer team.
All in all, our women's soccer team's group situation has been in trouble since the first day of the tournament, and will have to adjust back to form in time for the upcoming matches against Zambia and the Netherlands.
Pressure turns into power! Charge! Clanging roses!
