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China's road to 2010 World Cup was
almost blocked here on Saturday when they lost 1-0 to Qatar at home in a
crucial Asian Zone Group A qualifier. (Xinhua Photo)
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TIANJIN, China, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's road to
2010 World Cup was almost blocked here on Saturday when they lost 1-0 to Qatar
at home in a crucial Asian Zone Group A qualifier.
Sebastian's penalty gave the host today a fatal blow
and made the Qataris stay within reach of runaway leaders Australia in Group A.
"We played well in the first half and we created a
string of chances. But the penalty is the turning point." said Vladimir
Petrovic, the head coach of China.
"It's a regret we couldn't translate the supremacy to
goals and I fell sorry to see my boys crying after the match. But we played more
creative than the opponent and it's the penalty and referee that changed the
result," the Serb added.
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China's Zheng Zhi (bottom) vies with
Qatar's Talal Albloushi during their World Cup qualifying soccer match
held in Tianjin Municipality, north China, June 7, 2008. Qatar won 1-0.
(Xinhua Photo)
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At the "Water Drop" Olympic Centre Stadium on
Saturday night, China chief coach Dujkovic fielded a balanced 4-2-3-1 staring
lineup with captain Zheng Zhi took the playmaking role in the attacking midfield
while two fast under-23 players Hao Junmin and Zhu Ting made indefatigable runs
down the wings to create scoring chances with width.
The Chinese focused on attacking from the very
beginning when the central forward Gao Lin could have nearly opened the scoring
with an acrobatic volley in the first minute, but only saw the ball sliding past
the post.
However, the visitor seemed to fully prepare for the
expected pressure and made a dream start based on their sharp counterattack
after 13 minutes. The Uruguay-born striker Sebastian Soria cashed a
controversial penalty.
China played more aggressively after the interval
when Dujkovic sent in two other fast wingers and made a final stake on the two
sides.
However, the host felt a little impatient to create
chances through the midfield and relied more on the right wing to pass the ball
directly in the box over and over.
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China's Li Weifeng (R) vies with Qatar's
Sebastian Quintana during their World Cup qualifying soccer match held in
Tianjin Municipality, north China, June 7, 2008. Qatar won 1-0. (Xinhua
Photo)
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The Qataris were clearly wary of the routine, with
their captain, the Senegal-born central defender Abdulla Obaid dominating air
space in the box.
"We did a very good job today to beat such a strong
opponent. Though we still had many mistakes in the match, I made the right
decision and applied the right strategy," said the Qatari coach Jorge Fossati.
"Our players fight to the last minute on their
stamina. We are set to win this match and we'll go further," added the
Uruguayan.
It was China's first defeat after three successive
draws and the third place meant nothing as only the top two of the group could
qualify.
China had to face the Asian Cup champions Iraq and
regional powerhouse Australia later this month. Even if they could achieve two
straight wins, the fate would be held in Qataris' and Aussies' hands.
But Petrovic did not concede that his side already
had no chance.
"We still have two matches in front of us. We will
fight to the end no matter what the result will be. I hope all the Chinese
people who love national team will stand by us."
Before today's duel, China tied Iraq 1-1 and Qatar
0-0 on road and drew Australia 0-0 at home.
Top two teams from each of the five groups will progress to the final round of Asian zone qualification tournament.
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