Team China braced for tough challenge

Coach Shui keeping lid on World Cup expectations, admitting Steel Roses face uphill task to make deep run

Head coach Shui Qingxia has urged fans to be realistic about Team China's chances at the forthcoming FIFA Women's World Cup.

A 3-0 defeat to Brazil and a 2-2 draw with Colombia in warm-up matches over the last week in Australia suggested Team China could struggle to hit the heights it enjoyed in past decades on the global stage.

And Shui is braced for more tough tests when Team China kicks off its World Cup Group D campaign in Perth on Saturday.

"The World Cup is our top priority, and all our fans expect a lot from us. But, in terms of how strong we are, there is a huge gap between us and our rivals. I hope through these matches, we can form a clearer picture of the current position of Chinese women's soccer," said coach Shui.

"Then we need to think more about what to do in the future. The current state of women's soccer worldwide is very different from two or three decades ago. It has even changed since the last World Cup in 2019."

With China's warm-up games against Brazil and Colombia played in different cities, Shui admitted the extra travel was not ideal Down Under.

"The schedule is intense. Flying to different cities to play the friendlies has made us pretty tired over the last two days. The team hasn't played many matches over the past few months, so we felt it was important to arrange these friendlies to allow our players to adjust better," said Shui.

"Our rivals won't wait for us to adjust, so we need to deal with it as best we can.

"Before we arrived here, we also arranged matches against men's teams. I just hope our players will be in better shape by the time the World Cup starts."

Team China will kick off its Group D campaign against Denmark on Saturday before taking on Haiti six days later, and England on Aug 1. An expanded format features eight groups of four, with the top two sides from each pool qualifying for the knockout stages.

With China's chances of earning any points against England considered slim, a victory or a draw against Denmark is seen as key to the Steel Roses' chances of progressing from the group.

Team China's 23-player roster features a mix of veterans and youngsters — among which 14 are World Cup debutants. China's hopes would, therefore, appear to once again rest on former Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Wang Shuang, captain Wang Shanshan and veteran Wu Haiyan — who have all played at the past two World Cups.

"I'm happy to be here and I really cherish this opportunity to play at the World Cup. We have faced different rivals and different situations at past World Cups. I will have to seize this great opportunity and show the best of myself. I hope to bring positive energy to the team," said 30-year-old Wu.

"In terms of the friendlies we played, Brazil has a lot of young players, they are more aggressive and their players have great individual skills. The match was a good way of getting up to pace for the World Cup as quickly as possible."

The Chinese women's squad was once a major force on the world stage, notably finishing runner-up at the 1999 Women's World Cup. However, with the rapid development of women's soccer worldwide, especially in Europe, the Steel Roses are no longer a sure bet to enjoy deep runs at major global tournaments. At the last World Cup in 2019, China was eliminated in the round of 16.

The 56-year-old Shui has been with the Steel Roses for decades. As a player, she was called up to the national team as a 20-year-old. She was a member of the Steel Roses teams that won Asian Cup titles in 1986, 1989 and 1991. She played her first Women's World Cup in 1991, when Team China reached the quarterfinals on home soil.

Shui played her second World Cup in 1995 in Sweden, mostly as a substitute, and then did not feature at the 1999 World Cup in the US, where the Steel Roses won silver.

In 2001, Shui decided to end her playing career to become a coach. In 2021, she was officially appointed head coach of the women's national team. Under her reign, the Steel Roses ended a 16-year wait to win the Asian Cup, in February 2022.

Looking back on her career, she admits there are some regrets about missing out on the runner-up finish at the 1999 World Cup.

"After 1998, I left the national team. I was over 30 years old. So I did not play at the 1999 World Cup. I attended training for coaches, and at that time, my goal changed to become a coach," said Shui.

"There were regrets, and I was a little bit envious. I could have been part of that generation of Steel Roses who won silver.

"Now I have a different role, and I shoulder greater responsibilities. Being a coach means I need to make tough decisions which decide the direction of games."

Shui hopes the current squad's blend of youth and experience can prove to be a fruitful combination in Australia.

"The veterans of the team will need to stay in top condition and help the younger players. The core players in their prime need to shoulder more responsibilities, showing respect to the veterans and leading the youngsters," Shui added.

"The young players who have limited experience at major international events could be nervous, so I just hope they can display their full potential. Just play without fear, their big sisters are here to help. The important point is that we need to be united. Together we can finish the task."

Shui added that she would give her players space to relax if it helps to ease their prematch nerves.

"Some help each other with their makeup before matches, some listen to music alone, and some just can't stop talking," she said. "So I just respect their habits."