The Chinese national youth team, after convincing victories over Turkey, Ukraine and Panama, lost 3-2 to Germany at Willem II Stadium in Tilburg, the Netherlands Tuesday after taking the lead twice, pushing them out of the World Youth Championship (WYC) at the last sixteen stage.
The German side had drawn with the US and lost to Argentina in the preliminary games, and drawn 2-2 with China in a warm-up match last month.
China posed a stunning offensive start and opened the scoring just 4 minutes after kickoff. Midfielder Chen Tao thrust down the middle and was brought down on the edge of the box by Marcel Schuon, who received a yellow card. From the resulting free kick, Chen curled the ball over the wall.
One minute later, Germany came from behind when Chinese goalkeeper Yang Cheng spilled a cross from striker Michael Delura and Christian Gentner was on hand to pick up the pieces and slide home the equalizer.
In the seventh minute, Feng Xiaoting, who had been selected as one of 14 promising stars by the WYC, broke up a dangerous attack from a forefield free kick.
In the 19th minute, China regained their lead thanks to a penalty earned by Gao Lin who dribbled to the penalty area and was brought down by Schuon. Chen Tao shot the penalty, the ball rolling into the dead angle.
Again, the lead was short-lived as in the 30th minute Germany beat the offside trap when Nicky Adler got the ball from Christoph Janker and shot it in from an acute angle.
In the second half, China gradually lost their dominance in setting the pace due to an apparent lack of stamina and the game was put into deadlock.
In the 49th minute, a German pass from the left side led fullback Zheng Tao to narrowly shoot his own goal. Two minutes later, Cui Peng's slide tackle produced China's only yellow card.
China continued their effort to break the tie but substitute striker Zhao Xuri missed two volley shots in the 70-plus minutes.
With the game heading for extra time, Marvin Matip headed home the winner from a cross from Michael Delura in the 89th minute to send China crashing out.
"Despite our loss I am very proud of the performance," said Eckhard Krautzun, coach of the Chinese team. "China has proved we can play football, score goals and play offensively, but we made too many mistakes in defense. Germany's diagonal balls hurt us."
The youth team will back to China today, preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Insiders said the Chinese Football Association (CFA) doesn't want to put more burden on Zhu Guanghu, head of the men's national team, and it will probably give up Krautzun despite his willingness to keep the helm and promise to do a better job.
The CFA is thought likely to choose another foreigner, "but so far there are no details," according to its vice president Yang Yimin.
China's roster in the match was: Yang Cheng; Zhao Ming, Zheng Tao, Feng Xiaoting, Tan Wangsong; Cui Peng (Dong Fangzhuo 90'+3'), Chen Tao, Zhou Haibin (Zou You 90'+3'), Hao Junmin (Zhao Xuri 58'); Lu Lin, Gao Lin.
(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, June 22, 2005)
