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Can Gao save Chinese soccer?

By Tang Zhe (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-08 09:49

Head coach of Chinese Men's soccer team Gao Hongbo talks to team members during a warm-up game in Kunming city, Yunnan province, June 19, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

Despite inconsistent performances, coach remains upbeat about team's future, Tang Zhe writes in Nanjing

China coach Gao Hongbo remains unfazed despite two ordinary performances from the team following this year's World Cup. "Our target is to secure qualifying for the 2014 World Cup (in Brazil)," Gao said in an exclusive interview with China Daily in Zhengzhou before flying to Nanjing ahead of last night's game against Paraguay.

"Every game before next June, including the Asian Cup, is a warm-up process for the World Cup qualifiers, which means we do not set specific goals for those games," he said following Friday's a 2-0 loss to Asian rival Iran.

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Since assuming the post on May 4, 2009, Gao, the youngest-ever men's national team head coach at age 44, has been under unprecedented pressure and also heavy criticism in his mission to steer the squad back on the right track.

Although he says he has grown used to constant criticism during his 15-month tenure, he also said: "Chinese soccer has been on a downhill path over the past six years

"Soccer is the most complicated sport in the world and it is hard to explain where the problem comes from. If you could figure out the problem, it would have been solved already."

He asked the team's fans to be patient and not judge the team too quickly.

"People should lower their expectations," Gao said.

However, there is not much time left for Gao and his team to prove themselves. In October next year, China will start its next campaign for a World Cup berth. Before that, the country will take part in the Asian Cup in Doha in January.

"We will finish player selection and strategy establishment (for qualifying) by the Asian Cup," Gao said.

Gao's squad is mainly made up of young players born after 1980, a huge facelift to the previous lineup which included a lot of veterans.

When asked about former national team captains Zheng Zhi, who currently plays for domestic second-tier team Guangzhou Hengda, and Li Weifeng, who plays in the K-League and has expressed a strong desire to play for the nation again, Gao said: "Soccer is not traditional Chinese medicine. The elder ones are not necessarily better. You need passion, creativity and courage to play soccer. The team needs updating all the time. Age is not a major concern.

"There is no age difference in soccer. The decisive element is whether the player can develop with the game."

Now, a new generation of players has come to the fore. Gao is not afraid to face criticism about his choice of young players, in particular Hao Junmin from Schalke, the only Chinese footballer playing in one of the top four European leagues, after a lackluster performance during the game against Bahrain.

"Du Wei, Qu Bo and Yang Zhi are the team's backbone, and Rong Hao, Deng Zhuoxiang and Yang Hao are China's future," Gao said. "Soccer requires teamwork. One man can't decide a team's destiny, although he can make a difference at certain times."

Gao said China was still looking for its own style of play.

"The playing style reflects a nation's understanding of a particular sport, like Mercedes-Benz designs its cars based on a long-term understanding of the industry," he said.

"Our soccer is still in the start-period and it's impossible to define a style. But we can't simply copy any style of another country, like we can't copy the American economic system. We have to find our own path."

Over the past year, Gao's team has shown improvement, with an East Asian championship and victories over South Korea and France.

"First of all, we must stop the gap from widening, and I'm confident Chinese football will return to the top flight in Asia," the coach said.

He has received tips from his Asian colleagues.

"Building confidence and bodies should be the priorities of China," said Afshin Ghotbi, head coach of Iran. "Players from West Asia are more talented than East Asians in the last kick, so East Asian teams have to create more opportunities to score."

According to a poll launched by web portal sina.com after the friendly with Iran, 52.9 percent of Chinese fans believe feel it is impossible for China to become an Asian powerhouse while only 10.7 percent have an optimistic view.