China men's soccer team again channeled the ire of local media and fans yesterday after the side were surprisingly beaten 3-2 by Syria in their opening Asian Cup qualifier on Wednesday.

The visitors conceded their first goal in the sixth minute when an ugly challenge by captain Du Wei in the area led to the first of two penalties that had Syria up 3-0 before halftime in Aleppo.

Although China began clawing their way back into the game after the break, it was a case of too little too late. A catalog of sloppy passes and clumsy tackles only served to compound the players' aggressive first-half display that saw them revert to type by heading into self-destruct mode - a pattern that has become all too familiar to frustrated fans.