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 A sign on one wall at the Harbin Hotel in Dalian counts down the number of days to go until the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003. Other walls are adorned with slogans such as "The World Cup is Our Goal."

No prizes, then, for guessing that this is the base for China’s women's team as they fine-tune their preparations for the world’s showcase tournament. The competition may have been moved from China to the US, but the Steel Roses are preparing to bring the trophy back the opposite way.

Finding weaknesses

The Chinese women are currently training alongside male players from Dalian Shide, the top men’s team in China. With seven league titles in the nine years since Chinese professional football began in 1994, Dalian Shide have been dubbed the “Manchester United of China, and according to China coach Ma Liangxing it is just that pedigree which made them a natural choice as warm-up opponents and sparring partners.

A match between the two teams on August 6 resulted in a 5-1 defeat for the women (even though Dalian Shide fielded mostly reserve players), but Ma was quick to point out that “the score is not what matters in a game between men and women – what is important is for the women to find their own weaknesses by playing against the men.”

Coach Ma gathered his charges together after the game to discuss their defensive weaknesses. "In the run-up to the World Cup, any warm-up matches are welcome and we really appreciate this opportunity," said Ma.

Long-distance running

Stamina building via intense physical exercise is another accepted practice in Chinese women's football. One technique is to invite track and field coaches to evaluate the players’ physical strength and suggest tailor-made training programs.

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Former coach of the Beijing and Chinese national athletics teams, Mao Yixuan is today a leading figure in football as well as track and field, and he has again been invited to come and help the women's team prepare for this year's FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Mao and Ma got together and quickly arranged a punishing but effective training regime. Like runners preparing for a marathon, the women start each morning with a 10-kilometer run. They do a series of 400 metres sprints around the track.

Goalkeeper Xiao Zhen told reporters, “We have to run at least ten 400-meter sprints every day. On top of that, a lot of the players have to run over 10 kilometers every day. Even the goalkeepers have to run seven or eight kilometers."

This intensive training leaves the women with very little time for themselves. After a hard day of training and then dinner, they are sent for a session with the physio before heading to their rooms to catch up on some well-earned sleep. They essentially never leave the building except for training.

Warm-up matches decided

China will play three warm-up games, against Australia, Nigeria and South Africa. Australia, who have been drawn in the same group as China in the group phase, have yet to defeat China in over 10 meetings, so the hosts are not overly worried about revealing their weaknesses prior to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The tentative schedule for the warm-up matches is as follows: 22 and 25 August against Nigeria at Panjin and Jinzhou; 28 and 31 August against Australia; 4 and 7 September against South Africa.

After that, the Steel Roses will fly to Washington for the final stage of training, which could see them play one or two more warm-up games before the tournament begins.

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