(August 14)

(The author, correspondent for Sports Illustrated China)

The football match between China and Brazil on August 13 was not a competition.

Brazil beat China 3-0 on August 13 to wrap up group play undefeated at the Beijing Olympics. [Sohu.com]

The Brazilians did not make any effort and the Chinese National Men's Soccer Team just tried to avoid a total trouncing. It seems they thought it was "ok" to concede three goals. So long as the thrashing wasn't too severe, they could still walk out of the stadium alive.

They claimed they had prepared for the Beijing Olympics for four years. They dreamed of entering the final eight or even grabbing a medal. It turned out that they couldn't even qualify for the next round. The last show of the team at the Beijing Olympics was heart-breaking.

Witnessing such a result, I felt so empty. The pain of the defeats was easier to bear than the fact they were not even ready after four years of preparation. It hurt me deeply.

Let's have a look at our players. The two wing halfs are temporary guest players. Forward Han Peng, was changed to the play at halfback. Shen Longyuan was lifted from the substitutes' list but did not play one minute in the first two matches. And 21 days before the Olympics, the coach was fired! The team was not ready!

Who should pay the price for the Chinese football team's failure?

The management? There's no doubt it is poor. It is said the players have been playing cards and even gambling, when their heads should have been focused on the games.

The team? They showed no unity and never cooperated on the pitch. This has been a constant problem and all the management team has done is to keep changing the coach!

Is it the fault of the coaches? It's clear that too much dependence on foreign coaches, such as Ratomir Dujkovic, rendered the team incapable of doing the job.

http://xulaowai.blog.sohu.com/97209534.html