Steel Roses aim to land knockout blows
Jia Xiuquan, head coach of China’s women’s team, says reaching the knockout stage is his side’s minimum target for next year’s World Cup in France.
On Saturday China was drawn in a tough-looking Group B, along with two-time champion and world No 2 Germany, 12th-ranked Spain and 48th-ranked South Africa.
The top two teams in each group and the four best third-place finishers will reach the last 16, and Jia is confident his ‘Steel Roses’, who are ranked 15th, will be among them.
“We are still behind Germany and Spain ... but the gap can be narrowed and we have possibilities of beating them,” he said.
“There aren’t really any poor sides, though. All 24 teams have qualified on merit and will be competitive. That’s why I did not show any emotion after the draw.
“We just need to focus on ourselves. That’s the most important thing. Of course, we have to be fully prepared for every group opponent.
“Firstly, we expect to march through the group phase. After that, going any further is a bonus. We hope to make it into the top eight or top four, but that can be achieved only through hard work.
“Maybe we can do it, maybe not. Everything is dependent hard work and training.”
One day after the draw in Paris, Jia watched from the stands as his star midfielder Wang Shuang ran the show for Paris Saint-Germain in a French top-flight game.
Wang was involved in on all our three goals as PSG beat city rival Paris FC 3-1.
Despite Wang’s dominating performance, Jia reckons PSG has yet to see the best of the rising star, dubbed ‘Lady Messi’, who joined the European giant in August.
“They (PSG) should take advantage of Wang’s strengths in a better way. She is a playmaker, who is quite crucial to a team. She needs to maximize her superiority in skill and awareness,” Jia said.
Meanwhile, Jia’s squad has arrived in Australia for a two-month training stint.
“We need to consolidate our style and character at this stage,” said the coach before heading Down Under to reunite with the team.
The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be played in nine cities across France from June 7 to July 7. A D B
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