OLYMPICS/ Team china
We deserve the win - hosts China's coach
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-13 11:35
Thanks to substitute Song Xiaoli's incredible long shot in the 88th minute, hosts China edged Denmark 3-2 to snatch the crucial three points in the FIFA Women's World Cup Group D on Wednesday.
China's Bi Yan (L) celebrates scoring a goal off a deflection from Denmark's Katrine Pederson (R) during their group match in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium September 12, 2007. China beat Denmark 3-2. [Reuters] |
China head coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors said: "We did a very good job in the midfield defence and our quick-pace attacks worked well today."
"And the whole team was in top form and high morale. We deserve the win," said Domanski-Lyfors, who led Sweden to the 2003 World Cup runners-up.
Denmark's coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller had said on Tuesday that the winner of this match would be one leg into the knockout stage. However, the luck was not on his side.
China boast head-to-head results of seven wins, three ties and one loss against Denmark in world arena before Wednesday's clash, including a 2-2 draw in 1991 World Cup in China and 3-1 win in 1995 edition in Sweden.
In Wednesday's breath-taking duel, the stalwart Chinese girls launched waves of attacks from the very beginning. Defender Li Jie looped a wonderful curling freekick which found the top right corner of the net.
A powerful long shot near the arc by Bi Yan lifted China to 2-0 lead in the 50th minute. However, the Danes cut the deficit to one goal only after one minute when striker Anne Dot Eggers Nielsen headed a left-wing cross into the Chinese goal.
The Danes squandered several scoring chances, until they cashed one in the 87th minute when midfielder Cathrine Paaske Sorensen jumped high to head a right-wing cross home.
As most of the fans thought of a regrettable tie, midfielder Song Xiaoli, who replaced exhausted Qu Feifei in the 58th minute, rewrote the scoreboard in just one minute to seal the win for China, who set a target of entering the top four of the tournament on home soil.
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