AP, TIANJIN, China
Li Jie and Xie Caixia scored in the second half yesterday to lead China to a 2-0 win over New Zealand, setting up a quarter-final matchup against Norway on Sunday.
China launched repeated attacks but were not able to crack the gritty New Zealand defense until the 57th minute when Li Jie scored off a free-kick from Zhou Gaoping, heading the ball over keeper Jenny Bindon.
Xie added another in the 79th minute, deftly outdribbling a defender and launching a left-footed shot from close range.
Like in their other first round games against Group D opponents Brazil and Denmark, New Zealand's scrappy defense held off repeated attacking drives. China had 22 shots to New Zealand's five.
Zhang Ouying's shot 50 seconds into the game was deflected out of bounds by keeper Bindon, and was followed by numerous other misses. Near the end of the first half, Han Duan outdribbled several defenders but her shot from 6m went just wide.
Han's header in the 75th minute was tipped over by Bindon, and was followed by another shot a minute later from Ma Xiaoxu that hit the bar.
New Zealand went home having lost all three of their first round games, and not having scored a goal. Their best chance to score in the game came in the 64th minute, when Zoe Thompson was one-on-one with China's keeper Zhang Yanru, but her shot went wide.
Zhang started in goal instead of Han Wenxia, whose mistakes in China's last game against Brazil contributed to a 4-0 rout.
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