China's Xie Wenneng regrets injury in World Cup qualifying loss to Australia

ADELAIDE, Australia - Xie Wenneng, who scored China's only goal in a 3-1 World Cup qualifying loss to Australia, said he regretted pulling a muscle in his leg shortly after scoring. He added that the gap between the two teams wasn't as large as the result suggested.

Xie gave China an early lead in the 20th minute, breaking free from Australian defender Harry Souttar and slotting a left-footed shot into the net. However, he was forced off at halftime due to injury.

"At the moment I shot, it felt right, and I knew it had a good chance of going in," Xie said.

Xie explained that he started feeling a slight muscle strain around the 30th minute, which made it difficult to apply full power. "It likely happened during a sprint on a counterattack. At halftime, I told the coach that I couldn't go all out, and pushing it might cause a more serious tear," he said.

Head coach Ranko Ivankovic said in the post-match press conference that Xie was substituted to avoid aggravating the injury and to ensure his availability for China's next match against Indonesia in five days.

From the bench, Xie watched Australia score twice in the second half. "I really wish I hadn't gotten injured. It was terrible timing," he said.

Despite the loss, Xie remains optimistic, saying that China held its own in areas like height, set pieces, ball control, and attacking play.

Looking ahead to the upcoming match against Indonesia, Xie vowed to give his all. "Whether people criticize or support us, I'll always give everything when I'm on the field for China," he said.

"I hope I can keep up the scoring form," Xie added.