CHINA: SOCCER FANS DISAPPOINTED AS CHINA FAILS TO SCORE AGAINST TURKEY AND IS ELIMINATED FROM THE WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT

Record ID: 640638

  • Title: CHINA: SOCCER FANS DISAPPOINTED AS CHINA FAILS TO SCORE AGAINST TURKEY AND IS ELIMINATED FROM THE WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT
  • Date: 13th June 2002
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 13, 2002) (REUTERS) CHINESE SOCCER FANS WATCHING CHINA-TURKEY GAME INSIDE BAR IN BEIJING VARIOUS OF CROWD OF YOUNG MEN CHEERING CROWD WATCHING GAME ON WIDE SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ZHANG, TV PRODUCER, 26, SAYING: "The China team is our own team, so I have to support them, no matter how they play." BAR FULL OF SOCCER FANS INFLATABLE SOCCER BALL HANGING FROM CEILING YOUNG WOMEN WATCHING MATCH COOKS WATCHING MATCH (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) LIU JIA, STUDENT, 20, SAYING: "Milu helped China a lot, but I don't think he should continue being the coach. They should get a new and better coach. The team has already gotten to this level, but to get to the next level, they need to switch coaches." SOCCER FANS WATCHING MATCH CROWD OF FANS WATCHING MATCH (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) LIU, TELECOMS EMPLOYEE, 32, SAYING: "I don't think he really helped China to get into the finals. They were just lucky this year. Without luck, they wouldn't have even gotten into the tournament." VARIOUS OF FANS WATCHING MATCH INFLATABLE SOCCER BALL HANGING OUTSIDE OF BAR FANS TRICKLING INTO BAR TO WATCH MATCH SOCCER POSTERS ON DOOR WAITSTAFF DRESSED IN RED SOCCER UNIFORMS STANDING EMPTY BAR STREET Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 28th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAADGETFWT1TYB6LFJA87MM1NJG
  • Story Text: A small crowd of diehard Chinese soccer fans came out to cheer their team in its last World Cup match against Turkey, even though the team's poor performance meant the team had no chance of getting through to the next round.
    The hopeful mood of China's diehard soccer fans in Beijing disappeared Thursday (June 13) as the team lost its final group match to Turkey, failing to score even one goal.
    Though their team was already eliminated from the tournament, China was hoping for a face-saving win before returning home.
    Fan turnout was thin compared to China's jubilant first match against Costa Rica, when China still had hopes to pass to the next round -- or at least to score a goal.
    China was hoping to return home with one goal, which would at least put them ahead of world champions France who were eliminated without scoring.
    They vowed to fight hard against Turkey, who were still hoping for a solid win over China to feed their faint hopes of qualification.
    But Chinese fans - free of the pressure of qualifying - were happy to just come out and cheer on their team one last time.
    "The China team is our own team, so I have to support them, no matter how they play," said Zhang (pronounced djhang).
    Most fans were just relieved that the team didn't humiliate itself going head-to-head against the world's best teams.
    Cheered on by some 20,000 Chinese fans in South Korea, China showed moments of real potential in an earlier match against Brazil and fans were hoping that spirited playing against Turkey would land them one in the net today.
    Though merely qualifying for the finals was seen as a huge leap for Chinese soccer, some fans were disappointed at China's showing.
    China's Serbian Coach Bora Milutinovic, credited for taking China to its first World Cup final, made what is expected to be his last appearance as China's coach in the Turkey match.
    Fan Liu Jia (pronounced lee-you jee-yah) thought it was time for Milu to move on.
    "Milu helped China a lot, but I don't think he should continue being the coach. They should get a new and better coach. The team has already gotten to this level, but to get to the next level, they need to switch coaches."
    Milutinovic has led four other national teams to the World Cup finals -- Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States and Nigeria -- and China is the first not to reach the second round.
    "Milu," as he is known in China, blamed this failure on the team's lack of international experience and urged the country to send more players overseas. Milutinovic has highlighted several young players as candidates to go overseas, preferably to European clubs, to sow the seeds for the next World Cup squad.
    After China's poor showing in the finals, adoration towards Milu is souring.
    "I don't think he really helped China to get into the finals. They were just lucky this year. Without luck, they wouldn't have even gotten into the tournament," said Liu.
    While some have touted the world's most populous nation as a rising soccer power, it is clear from their World Cup performance that they have a long road ahead.
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