Bundesliga star Shao Jiayi has downplayed China's embarrassing performances in the lead-up to the Asian Cup, insisting the team is capable of reaching the last four.
In the past month China, runners-up as hosts at the Asian Cup in 2004, have lost to Thailand before stumbling to two defeats against Major League Soccer clubs on a tour of the US.
They enjoyed a brief reprieve after beating Colorado Rapids 2-1 but the knives are out for the team and coach Zhu Guanghu.
Shao though says it has been a learning experience and they will bounce back.
"Losing in pre-tournament friendlies is not necessarily a bad thing," the Energie Cottbus midfielder told the Asian Football Confederation Web site.
"It helps us find out more about our problems and we can correct these before we play in real matches. I don't think our form in these friendlies is any indication of what lies ahead," he said.
"We didn't really focus on the final result but tested our full strength in attacking and tried to find out our first 11. That is the purpose of friendly matches," he said.
Despite the lackluster warm-up, Shao, 27, believes China will be in the running for a semi-final berth, along with Australia, Japan, South Korea and Iran.
He said the squad was much stronger than the one beaten by Japan in the final three years ago.
"There have been very few changes in the team though some players like Hao Haidong, Li Ming and Li Xiaopeng have retired," he said. "But most of the other elite players from the Asian Cup 2004 are still in the current national squad and this is very good. I personally believe this [squad] is stronger than the previous one."
China are grouped with Iran, Uzbekistan and co-hosts Malaysia and Shao knows it will be tough getting through the group stages.
"There is no doubt that Iran are one of the best teams in Asia. Their fast, strong, physical and skilful playing style makes them our top group opponents," he said.
"Iran also have three Bundesliga players in their ranks and their international experience gives them an added advantage," Shao said.
"West Asian countries will be the main force in this edition, but I personally think China, South Korea, Japan, Iran and Australia are favorites to reach the semi-finals," he said.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in has pleaded with South Korea fans to get behind the team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after more boos were aimed at coach Hong Myung-bo despite leading them to qualification. South Korea reached next year’s finals in North America without losing a game, but that does not tell the whole story. The country’s soccer association has been in the firing line, having scrambled about to find a successor after sacking the unpopular Jurgen Klinsmann in February last year. They eventually settled on Hong, the decorated former skipper who had an unsuccessful stint as coach in 2013-2014, during which
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Ferrari’s F1 fortunes might be flagging, but the Italian team start this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans as favorites, targeting a third consecutive triumph in motorsport’s fabled endurance classic. Roger Federer is acting as celebrity starter with the tennis icon getting the 93rd edition of the jewel in four-wheeled endurance racing’s crown under way tomorrow. Twenty-four hours later, through daylight, darkness and dawn, the 21 elite hypercars are to battle it out over 300 laps (more than 4,000km) in front of a sold-out 320,000 crowd burning the midnight oil with copious quantities of coffee and beer. Ferrari made a triumphant return after
RSS