China flatter to deceive again

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Another major international tournament, another false dawn for Chinese football.

After the rapid progress made under fresh-faced manager Gao Hongbo there was a sense of optimism about China’s young squad ahead of the 2011 Asian Cup.

Gone apparently were the unrealistic expectations that usually accompanied a national team that has flattered to deceive, with the focus instead on a long-term plan leading into the 2014 World Cup.

Yet the disappointment of fans and commentators can’t be denied after the Chinese were dumped out of the tournament by Uzbekistan in their final group game, just as they were four years ago. This time they managed a draw against the Central Asian nation rather than suffer the ignominy of a 3-0 defeat but they were a shadow of their opponents nonetheless.

It all began so promisingly after a 2-0 win over Kuwait to open the campaign, though in truth a first-half red card suffered by the Gulf side helped China’s cause immeasurably.

The subsequent match saw them outplayed by hosts Qatar and it was always going to be a tough ask to beat the competition’s form team, who had the individual talent to keep the Gao’s men at bay for large parts of the match.

To many, one of the great mysteries of Chinese football is why there seems to be such a dearth of talent given the size of the country’s population.

According to Goal.com China’s Tony Mutong, a lack of basic facilities such as football pitches and the general absence of football from the education curriculum is at the heart of a well-documented problem: the country’s talent pool.

Widespread corruption in the Chinese Super League and at administrative levels within the game has also reportedly driven away the masses, who much prefer to focus their energies on supporting and following Europe’s major leagues from their homes.

In the wake of the national team’s latest failure on the international stage, Chinese Football Association president Wei Di has confirmed the governing body will stick with manager Gao, who has overseen the country’s rise through the FIFA World Rankings.

A series of impressive performances against high profile opposition in friendly matches suggests the young coach has the talent to nurture China’s next generation of players.

However, the absence of a strategic plan to improve the game at grassroots is conspicuous and according to Mutong, China’s large population does not necessarily make it a “football population”.

The aforementioned Wei is apparently embarking on a five-year plan to overhaul the game at various levels, having previously stated that Chinese football has “degraded to an intolerable level”. He is expected to announce the details of his plans in the wake of the Asian Cup exit.

While there were shining lights at the tournament in the form of Rong Hao and Li Xue Peng, they in truth have been few and far between in recent years as China has struggled to leave its mark on the football world.

Furthermore, the success of minnows Jordan at the Asian Cup has exacerbated the sense of frustration after the Chinese players failed to meet fan and media expectations yet again.

Sheer weight of numbers is no solution to the problem as the country now looks to regroup ahead of Brazil 2014.