'Group of Death' challenge holds no fear for China

Steel Roses adamant fighting spirit can overcome the odds in Tokyo

Team China women's head coach Jia Xiuquan insists the Steel Roses can reach the knockout stages of the Tokyo Olympics despite being handed a tough draw for the Games on Wednesday.

World No 3 the Netherlands and seventh-ranked Brazil will be the big favorites to take the two automatic qualifying spots in China's Group F this summer.

The 14th-ranked Steel Roses will also take on African minnow Zambia, with the top two finishers and two best third-place finishers in the 12-team tournament progressing to the quarterfinals.

Some observers have branded China's pool the 'Group of Death', however Jia reckons his charges can take confidence from the 2019 Women's World Cup, when they qualified from a group containing Germany and Spain.

"We didn't think we would be drawn in such a tough group," said Jia, "but we will move forward now and collect information on our opponents.

"Just like the World Cup two years ago, they all said we were in a Group of Death, but we eventually advanced with good performances, so we expect a better result based on that.

"We have dreams for Tokyo, we're not just there for the ride. Our girls are eager to showcase their technical skills, tactical ability and the mentality of the Chinese people as well."

Jia, who took over the team in 2018 and reached the last 16 of the Women's World Cup, also cautioned that Zambia will be no pushover.

"The teams from Africa are now emerging, along with the traditional powerhouses, but we are also a good team," he said.

China will kick off its Olympic campaign against Brazil on July 21, before taking on Zambia and the Netherlands.

"I want to win all the games, but a victory is earned by hard work, not imagination. The three teams have different styles, so we should fully prepare," said Jia.

Star playmaker Wang Shuang, who took center stage with vital goals in the recent qualifying playoff victory over South Korea, described the draw as "nice".

"No matter whether we are in Group F or G, we are not afraid of anyone, even the world champion (United States). We expect an opening win," said Wang, who missed a large chunk of the qualification campaign when she was locked down in her native Wuhan at the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

China's qualifying matches were moved from Wuhan to Australia during that period, and having overcome a multitude of difficulties on and off the pitch since then to book their Tokyo ticket, the 58-year-old Jia is confident his players will retain their fighting spirit at this summer's Games.

Wang's heroics in the playoff win over South Korea underlined the Steel Roses' reliance on the former Paris Saint-Germain star, who made her Team China debut in 2013.

However, the 26-year-old was adamant that it is the team's never-say-die attitude, rather than her individual brilliance, that holds the key to success in Tokyo. "We are a team and everyone is inseparable on our road to Tokyo," Wang said.

Dutch masters

Although this is the first time that the Netherlands have qualified for the Olympics, the Dutch have emerged as a powerhouse of the women's game in recent years, winning the European Championship in 2017 and reaching the 2019 World Cup final in France, where they lost 2-0 to the United States.

The US will play in Group G in Tokyo, against Australia, New Zealand and Sweden.

Team USA is a four-time Olympic champion, but was surprisingly knocked out at the quarterfinal stage at the 2016 Rio Games by Sweden, which lost to Germany in the final.

US head coach Vlatko Andonovski said of his team's challenge at the pandemic-delayed Games:"After waiting an extra year for these Olympics, the draw represents a real milestone in our journey and helps us focus even more on our preparation and what we need to do to achieve our goals.

"We have great respect for all three of our group opponents and we know this tournament will push us to our limits both mentally and physically, as well as challenge us every game technically and tactically. So we will do everything we can in the next three months to prepare for success."

Host nation Japan is in Group E with 2016 bronze medalist Canada, Britain and Chile.

Xinhua