Editor's Note:

The defeat was humiliating enough. Two Chinese primary schools were thrashed by a visiting Russian youth team during a series of friendly games in Beijing. One lost 11-0. The other 7-3. The Chinese sides towered over their rivals in height, but when it came to physical fitness and skill - the Russian team excelled.

The loss sparked a volley of criticism online with many questioning what has become of Chinese soccer. Others speculated on numerous reasons why football in China has become so bad, from differences in diet to that fact Chinese children are forced to spend too much time studying.

But what does the defeat really mean? And does the loss of two small school games against another country's sporting elite flag up a deeper problem with sport in China?  Click to take a poll

Just For Your Reference:

Even the editors have to reflect the skill and training these Russian kids have got. For they would beat us at soccer!!

Chinadaily.com.cn Opinion

China's problems with football started long before two small primary schools in Beijing naively played host to an elite Russian side. This was never going to be an equal match and Beijing Ditan primary school should have never agreed to play as it was destined to end in defeat.

Dynamo is an elite sporting academy in Russia where the region's best soccer players go to enhance their skills in something similar to a college scholarship. These child players are probably Russia's future national team players who undergo intense training. It was unfair, immoral and stupid to expect a few kids from two small schools in Beijing to win over this team.

It would be similar to inviting the youth academy players of Manchester United or AC Milan to play a school side of paraplegics. Or challenging a pensioner who has smoked his whole life to race Liu Xiang.  Click for full story

    Lee Michael Hannon, sports commentator of China Daily Website

Web Comments

The children's team would be among the world top eight if they had beaten the Russian kids. The kids are not to be blamed...Look at how we (Chinese adult players) perform...We should not complain about the children's performance...I heard someone say the Chinese kids are strong in figure. I don't think so. The case should be they are over-weight...they are spoiled and their parents think the school results are above the world, not a healthy body.

                             Hao Haidong, former Chinese national footballer

Don't know why so many people care about this match and why the media is hyping it. It was just some young amateurs playing soccer and they lost the game. They are not a national soccer team. But under great media pressure and criticism from soccer fans, the students may not want to play soccer anymore; the school may be unwilling to let its students play soccer anymore. Wasn't it just a friendly match? The news media just did more harm to the school and the students.

                                                           Netizen named Ronaldo_milan

Media criticized for hyping 

A picture posted on Sina Weibo shows the Chinese students are much taller and apparently stronger than their Russian counterparts. This prompted some to wonder why the Chinese team suffered such a lopsided defeat. [Full story]

Soccer official admits gap

Sun Zhedong, the top official in charge of youth soccer in the Chinese Football Association (CFA) told Sina.com that the score showed amateur soccer is developing better in Russia and these kinds of matches deserve our attention. [Full story] 

Parents prefer study over sports

About 87% of the surveyed parents said they are willing that their kids attend some physical exercises, but nearly two thirds of the investigated give the priority to study when time is not enough for their kids to handle study and sporting exercises.