Taiwan's absence from yesterday's final didn't deter fans from turning up to support China instead, in the battle with South Korea for third and fourth place yesterday.
Pro-independence activists rallied and staged a small protest in an attempt to drown out the cheers from pro-Beijing activists who unfurled Chinese flags and sang along with some old ex-soldiers the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.
To add to this already politically comedic situation, yells of "Go China" by the pro-China crowd were met with jeers and chants of, "Go Taiwan" by the pro-independence activists during the day's opening match.
The "Steel Roses" were unaffected by the commotion and got off to a good start.
China was ahead by two unanswered goals within 10 minutes.
Pu Wei blasted the ball across the line from less than a meter in the fifth minute.
A horrific blunder by the Korean 'keeper saw Bai Lili's miss-kick bounce off the woodwork and roll into the back of the net minutes after.
The woodwork gave China another helping hand in the 19th minute after Han Duan's volley from the edge of the penalty area took a deflection and to everyone's surprise ended up in the net.
Although South Korea began to pressure the Chinese and showed signs of proving a serious threat toward the end of the opening 45 minutes, the well-disciplined and tight "Steel Roses" defense managed to ensure China a clean sheet.
The South Koreans endured more punishment at the hands of China in the second half.
Bai Lili got her name on the score-sheet for a second time in the 57th minute after she found herself 5m outside of the penalty area with nobody to beat but the embattled Korean 'keeper.
Deftly taking the ball around the stranded Jung Ho-jung, Bai simply walked the ball into the back of the net for China's fourth.
Two minutes later the Korean defense was in tatters again and Zhang Ouyang hammered home China's fifth unanswered goal from the edge of the penalty area.
With less than six minutes left on the clock, the Koreans were exhausted and appeared to be holding out for the final whistle, when China finished off the soccer slaughter with a series of attacks.
Pu Wi got China's sixth after a defensive error in the 85th minute, and Han Duan added a seventh and eighth in the closing minutes.



