Steeled for an almighty challenge

Team China determined to beat the odds against illustrious rivals at Women's World Cup

Primed to face European champion England and a highly rated Denmark, Team China is under no illusions about the massive challenges that await at the forthcoming FIFA Women's World Cup.

The Steel Roses, though, have vowed to play with the same spirit and courage that have made them such firm favorites with Chinese fans through the decades.

"The coaching team is trying to adjust the team to its best form and give the players confidence. We are facing very tough challenges at the World Cup, but we have to display our skills and show our spirit on the pitch," Team China head coach Shui Qingxia told reporters before leaving for Australia last week.

"I know that people have high expectations for us, and this is great recognition for Team China. We need to have goals and we need to fight hard for them. We'll have to fight for qualification from the group stage, and we are aiming to make the quarterfinals.

"The World Cup is a very different event compared with the Asian tournaments. We have many younger players in this squad who will debut at this World Cup. So there are many uncertainties for us. But I believe we will bravely face all the challenges that come our way — and with big smiles on our faces. I believe this is what fans want to see from Team China."

China's 23-player World Cup squad is still heavily reliant on veterans Wang Shuang, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain and currently with Racing Louisville in the US, and captain Wang Shanshan.

They are among six stalwarts to have played at two World Cups before, while three others in the team have one World Cup under their belt — the 2019 edition in France. The remainder of the squad will be making their World Cup debuts Down Under, where the action begins on July 20.

Team China kicks off its Group D campaign against Denmark on July 22 before taking on Haiti six days later, and England on Aug 1. An expanded format features eight groups of four, with the top two sides from each pool qualifying for the knockout stages.

With China's chances of earning any points against England considered slim, a victory or a draw against Denmark is seen as key to the Steel Roses' chances of progressing from the group.

"The first match will be crucial, but I told my players that they need to approach it with a calm mindset. With the right mentality, we can show our true level of play. Then we should be more united than ever and get the job done," Shui said.

"Many of the Danish players are with top clubs in Europe. So in terms of their individual abilities, they are above us. But it doesn't mean that we have no chance to win and I hope we can."

Shui also cautioned against underestimating Haiti.

"We are not very familiar with Haiti, and we can only gauge them based on videos we've watched of them. We are continuing to analyze them, but we understand they are very fast and physical.

"As for taking on England — well, everyone knows they are one of the world's top teams. They are very strong overall. So we need to carefully prepare for all the group-stage matches, and we will try to do our best to get the right results."

The Steel Roses finished runners-up at the 1999 Women's World Cup, but with the rapid development of European teams over the past two decades, Team China is no longer a dominant force in the game. At the last World Cup in 2019, China was eliminated in the round of 16.