After finally giving the fans what they wanted, head coach Li Tie still failed to avoid a fresh onslaught of criticism following Team China's 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw with Australia.

Li has been under fire in recent months over his sparing use of the squad's naturalized players. Tuesday's match was the first time in the final phase of Asian zone qualifying that all four of the foreign-born contingent had started, with the better-than-expected result against the Aussies providing more proof, his critics argue, that his selection decisions have hamstrung Team China's campaign.

Li bristled at such suggestions and branded his detractors "mental" during a tense post-match media briefing that lasted over 30 minutes in Emirati city Sharjah, where China has been playing 'home' matches due to the pandemic.

"All we can do is face up to the problems and deal with them ourselves. I cannot show my disappointment or frustration in front of the players. I can only tell them this is the best possible arrangement," said Li.

"But what's the reality? Some people still say there is no difference between playing home and away matches. These people are mental. They know nothing about soccer. This is a fact that games are very different with and without home advantage.

"If we could have played the last two games in Suzhou, it's very possible that we would have collected six points. This is the difference. I could consider myself a relatively young coach, but to be honest, I'm not that young already. All these experiences will help me grow.

"There are also voices questioning the players. I believe all these will just make us stronger and stronger."

The interview went viral on Chinese social media, with netizens pouncing on Li's emotional responses to spark more debate among his critics and supporters. By Wednesday morning, the hashtags "Li Tie disses critics after match" and "Li Tie said those who ignore home advantage are mental" had been viewed over 23 million and 27 million times respectively.

Former Team China head coach Bora Milutinovic, who steered the national squad to its only World Cup finals appearance in 2002, told media on Wednesday that Li should learn to control his temper. The 77-year-old advised the former Everton midfielder to simply smile through the tough times.

Fans have rounded on Li for his apparent unwillingness to start or give the full 90 minutes to China's Brazil-born attackers Luo Guofo (aka Aloisio), Alan and Ai Kesen (aka Elkeson).

All three, as well as English-born defender Tyias Browning, started Tuesday's match, with Luo Guofo and Alan playing 80 minutes and Ai Kesen playing the entire game. Li has argued that he needs to limit the trio's minutes due to concerns over their fitness. Inevitably, though, Li's critics say Tuesday's match has proved the head coach wrong.

"I really don't know what to comment after this match. The 1-1 result has shown that starting all four naturalized stars has strengthened the national team to another level. If they had played like this before, they now could easily be third in the group," sports commentator Han Qiaosheng wrote on Weibo.

"Now, we only have a mathematical possibility of qualifying. Realistically speaking, we barely have any chance at all. It's a pity that Chinese soccer has been down such a bumpy road. We have spent so much money, but our chances on the pitch are diminishing.

"But we still hope Team China can keep their spirits up. I really hope Team China can once again reach the World Cup finals and become one of Asia's top-class teams."

With just five points from six games, Team China remains fifth in the six-team Group B, and would need a miracle to even earn a third-place playoff spot, let alone qualify automatically for Qatar 2022 with a top-two finish.

Amid all the negativity, China's fighting spirit against the third-place Aussies cheered many fans, in particular the performances of the tireless Luo Guofu and homegrown striker Wu Lei, who netted the equalizer from the penalty spot in the 70th minute.

"Firstly, I think it's really tough for us, and we all know the pressure on us. Given the current situation, we really have no alternative but to try our best in each game," said Espanyol forward Wu. "Even during the tough times, we played well and everyone has given 100 percent."

"Outsiders don't know how difficult it has been for the team," added Wu, referring to China's loss of home advantage and consequent extended stays in bio-secure bubbles abroad. "We knew, and we didn't say it before. We all held it back, and let it all out on the pitch."

Meanwhile, Li revealed that Guangzhou FC's Alan will now return to Brazil and likely miss the resumption of the Chinese Super League because he "could not accept the extra long time of separation from his family".

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