China vs Norway: Hardest step for hosts to hit target
Updated: 2007-09-22 17:12
WUHAN, China -- FIFA Women's World Cup hosts China, who set a target of entering top four on home soil, will take on in-form and stronger-looking Norway in the quarter-finals in Wuhan on Sunday.
It is the hardest step towards the aim of China, who frankly speaking is the weakest side of the top eight. But the highest-morale and the unexpected home advantage make nothing impossible for the hosts.
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According to the latest FIFA women's ranking in June, Norway stood fourth and China were 11th.
Norway, the 1995 World Cup champions and 2000 Sydney Olympic gold medalists, topped Group C with two wins and a tie, collecting 10 goals for and four against. They beat Canada 2-1, tied Australia 1-1, crushed Ghana 7-2.
Norway's quick-pace attacks, accurate passes and crosses in the midfield and up front and powerful headers stunned the world and no one would doubt their ambition to the top podium in China.
Norway's star striker Ragnhild Gulbrandsen is topping the 2007 World Cup scorer list with five goals. She also earned her first Norway hat-trick and the 500th goal in the World Cup history in their 7-2 sweep of Ghana.
However, China struggled into the quarter-finals as the runners-up of Group D with a last-minute 3-2 win over Denmark, 4-0 loss to Athens Olympic silverists Brazil, and 2-0 victory over underdogs New Zealand.
Most Chinese fans attributed China's survival to Brazil, who had already qualified for the knockout stage after 5-0 and 4-0 wins over the Kiwis and the Chinese but played all out to beat the desperate Danes 1-0 in their last group match.
China's striking duo Han Duan and Ma Xiaoxu failed to score a single goal in their three group matches, smashing fans' expectation. Han, dubbed as "secret weapon" before, even could not create any scoring chances and squandered many.
Ma, who shone last year with Golden Ball and Golden Shoe at FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and the AFC Women's Player of the Year award, did not score for the Chinese national team for quite a long time this year.
However, Ma created many scoring chances in the group matches and shot to the posts and the crossbar several times. She was named the Player of the Match (against Denmark).
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