China lost to Sweden 1-0 in Algarve Cup

SANTO ANTONIO, Portugal - China lost to Sweden 1-0 on Wednesday in their first group game of the Algarve Cup women's football tournament.

Substitute Antonia Goransson scored on a deflected shot after teammate Johanna Almgren hit the post in the 83rd minute.

China put on a mesmerizing teamwork in the 79th minute when they unlocked Sweden's massed defense with fluent and accurate one- touch passes, only to see striker Wang Shanshan fired a shot flying over the bar from a blank-point range.

"If we had scored first, it could have made much difference," said China's caretaker coach Hao Wei. "My players are rather young and lack experience, they still have to learn how to deal with the details."

According to Sweden head coach Thomas Dennerby, China are taking a leaf out of Japan's book after the latter were crowned in last year's World Cup in Germany with exquisite skills and suffocating control football.

"Both Japan and China are very skilled teams, and China proved they could play control football too," he said. "But they are not as physically strong as Japan."

But China, who failed to qualify for last year's World Cup and this year's London Olympic Games, were apparent underdogs as they managed only one shot on the goal.

Only until the 72nd minute did they create their first serious threat when forward Han Peng shot higher.