China has told its distraught national soccer team to wipe away the tears and focus on the Olympic Games next year, after it bowed out of the Women's World Cup in front of 52,000 home fans in Wuhan on Sunday night.
China's 1-0 quarter-final loss to Norway, courtesy of a number of fluffed goal chances and a crucial defensive blunder from rookie Wang Kun, left players and spectators weeping at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium. "The road is still long. I hope you can now dry your eyes," Monday's Beijing News quoted Xie Yalong, a vice-chairman of the Chinese Football Association, as saying.
"After all, there is still the 2008 Olympics. Although everyone feels bad at the moment, there's nothing that can be done, life goes on," Xie said. Eleventh-ranked China's loss to world number four Norway drew both sympathy and admonishment in the nation's newspapers.
"China bows out with head held high," the China Daily proclaimed in its headline, praising the "Steel Roses'" pluck. "Thornless Roses wilt at the brightest moment," the Beijing News said more frankly, bemoaning the team's failure to score, despite peppering the Norwegian goal with 21 shots.
China's failure to reach their semi-final target left coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors pondering her future, despite a ringing endorsement from players and Chinese football officials.
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