Chinese defender confident to face Sinclair

EDMONTON - For Chinese defender Li Jiayue, Canada's talismanic striker Christine Sinclair is not as indomitable as touted.

File photo of Li Jiayue

Li, who is compared to Chinese famous actress Gao Yuanyuan, is preparing with her teammates for the upcoming World Cup opener where China will play against the hosts Canada on Saturday in Edmonton.

The 1.76-meter-high girl will turn 25 on Monday and decided to earn herself an unforgettable birthday gift with an decent performance against goalscorer Sinclair, who is second only to Abby Wambach in goals scored among active players.

"I don't fear playing against Sinclair, I know how to stop her, " said Li on Wednesday before China's traning session.

"Physically she is very strong, but I am mentally strong, and physically I am not so inferior to her, I am among the most physical players in our team," she said.

"As a central defender, I have to play smart and be able to predict the next move of my opponents," she said.

"If I get the chance to play in the World Cup opener on Saturday, I think I will be assigned to stop Sinclair. I played against her several times, I know her well," Li said.

A 12-time player of the year, Sinclair is the watchword of Canadian women's soccer. She led Canada to a surprise bronze medal at the London Olympics with a record six goals, including three in a semifinal loss to the United States.