Editorials

Game planner

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-01 07:52

This soccer World Cup has been full of surprises. The Chinese fans are certainly impressed by Japan and the Republic of Korea, who debuted in the final 16 of the knockout stage at venues away from home.

Although our neighbors failed to advance further, their performances in South Africa should make highly paid Chinese footballers reflect on their own poor effort in the prelude to the Cup.

Chinese soccer players are forever complaining that their lackluster showing is partly due to natural attributes they see in opponents, such as large torsos and beefy legs.

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Well, the Japanese and ROK players too are far thinner and shorter than peers elsewhere, yet they have etched their marks with their unyielding spirit.

A bigger population is not a prerequisite for producing players of some caliber. To do so needs long-term vision and planning.

The Chinese national Olympic team is busy playing friendly games with the country's soccer clubs. It is thinking of grabbing a berth at the London Olympics in 2012.

That is not enough. China should think bigger - say, the World Cup four or eight years later.

We need a clear vision on the composition of our national soccer team for future World Cups .

Japan is reportedly working on a 100-year plan to train its soccer players; it is this kind of extraordinary vision that ensured its soccer team a place in the current fixtures and turned them into an overnight sensation.

The Chinese football association must act decisively now.

(China Daily 07/01/2010 page8)