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China gain support from fans

By Li Anna (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-11 10:12

HARBIN, Heilongjiang: Despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Senegal in a friendly match in Harbin on Wednesday night, the embattled China soccer team drew praise from team personnel and fans alike.

China had a number of chances to score but solid defense from Senegal and a lack of luck saw the hosts finish the game scoreless.

"It is really a pity that we got several chances from free kicks but failed to score. Nevertheless, we played very good soccer and created several chances against a strong defense," said coach Gao Hongbo.

Gao also asked fans and media to focus on the game rather than the scoreline.

"We cannot judge our team simply on results," said the under-pressure young coach. "We actually did very well in this game and showed signs of major improvement in offense and defense."

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Though the game ended in a goalless draw, the fans in the 20,000-seat stadium cheered on both teams with relish on a chilly evening and the song Ode to the Motherland was sung to inspire the China team.

Ge Chengkun, a soccer fan from Harbin Normal University, told China Daily: "The China national soccer team played well. Although some of Senegal's best players did not come, they are still a strong team as they advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup."

Another fan, Liu Liang, said: "It was a better performance than previous matches. So we should give them more time to improve. The team has been struggling and we should give them support rather than adding salt to the wound."