CHINA: BEIJING FANS CHEER ON NATIONAL TEAM DURING WORLD CUP DEBUT AGAINST COSTA RICA

Record ID: 640601

  • Title: CHINA: BEIJING FANS CHEER ON NATIONAL TEAM DURING WORLD CUP DEBUT AGAINST COSTA RICA
  • Date: 4th June 2002
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 4, 2002) (REUTERS) FAN HOLDING FLAG RUNNING IN FRONT OF CHEERING CROWD AT WORKER'S STADIUM FAN WITH PAINTED FACE BLOWING ON HORN GIANT SCREEN SHOWING CHINA VERSUS COSTA RICA MATCH, ALSO SCREAMING FANS FAN SITTING ON GROUND FAN CARRYING BEERS YOUNG FAN CHEERING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) NIU WEI, 19, SAYING: "No-one's working and no-one is going to school. Everyone is watching the match." YOUNG FAN SITTING AND LAUGHING FAN WAVING HUGE CHINESE FLAG CROWD WATCHING GIANT SCREEN FAN IN GREEN UNIFORM HOLDING SOCCER PLACARD FANS CHEERING CLOSE-UP OF FAN SCREAMING FAN BLOWING HORN WOMAN BLOWING HORN VARIOUS OF POLICE VAN AND POLICE PATROLLING STADIUM BAR STAFF IN RED SOCCER UNIFORM HERDING CUSTOMERS INTO BAR TO WATCH CHINA WORLD CUP MATCH BAR STAFF HOOTING AND TUGGING RED SOCCER JERSEY TWO BAR STAFF SHOWING OFF RED CHINA SOCCER GEAR BAR STAFF TRYING TO HERD DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS INTO BAR COLORFUL SIGN ON DOOR ADVERTISING WORLD CUP INFLATABLE SOCCER BALLS HANGING ABOVE BAR PEOPLE WALKING UNDER RED CHINESE FLAGS AND INFLATABLE BALLS ON BAR STREET BAR STAFF STRAIGHTENING CHINESE FLAGS ON BAR STREET TIANANMEN GATE POLICE VAN PARKED UNDER MAO PORTRAIT MILITARY POLICE WALKING OVER BRIDGE BY TIANANMEN GATE VARIOUS OF TIANANMEN SQUARE WITH CHINESE FLAG FLYING POLICE VAN PARKED NEAR TIANANMEN SQUARE POLICE OFFICER STANDING NEXT TO TIANANMEN GATE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA34LWFRH88LLVRLEXTVJUDWVN0
  • Story Text: The Chinese capital came to a standstill on Tuesday (June 4) as millions of soccer fans took a break from work to watch their national team make its World Cup debut. But the hopes of the nation were soon shattered as Costa Rica cruised to a 2-0 victory.
    World Cup frenzy gripped Beijing on Tuesday (June 4) for China's tournament debut -- overshadowing the June 4 anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
    While thousands of Chinese soccer fans made the trip to South Korea to cheer on their national team, tens of millions more watched the match at home - gathering at giant outdoor screens in beer gardens, bars and on the street to watch their team face off against Costa Rica.
    But the hopes of 1.3 billion people were dashed as the Latin American team steamed to a 2-0 victory.
    The city was festooned with soccer paraphernalia and fans across the city took a break from work to watch the afternoon match.
    Soccer mania was ignited in China in the early 1990s when state television started broadcasting British and Italian football and a professional league was started.
    Though China's appearance in the World Cup is a giant step in the nation's relentless quest for superpower status, the team is not expected to progress beyond the first round. But many fans were hoping for a sporting miracle.
    One thing was clear - not much work was getting done in Beijing on Tuesday.
    "No-one's working and no-one is going to school. Everyone is watching the match," said Niu Wei (pron: Ne-ow Way).
    China's squad has tried to dampen expectations by writing an open letter to fans on the web pleading with them not to expect too much.
    China's Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic has flip-flopped between urging China to be realistic and hinting at the potential of an upset.
    But for many fans, just getting to the World Cup at all is victory in itself.
    Tuesday's match coincided with the anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
    Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people were killed in 1989 when Chinese troops crushed student-led demonstrations.
    On Tuesday, Tiananmen Square was quiet, but police braced themselves for victory celebrations on the off-chance that China might pull off an upset on the 13th anniversary of the massacre.
    They feared that crowds of fans would spill out onto Beijing's streets as they did when China qualified for the World Cup in October.
    The China side has only had limited exposure to top-class international teams like they will face in Group C.
    They will also face former champions Brazil and Turkey in the first round of the tournament.
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