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UPDATED: July 10, 2013 NO. 28 JULY 11, 2013
Moving the Goalposts
'Adios Camacho,' Chinese soccer still in need of succor
By Yin Pumin
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LOSER: Spaniard José Antonio Camacho attends a press conference after the Chinese men's soccer team lost 1-5 to Thailand in Beijing on June 15 (GUO CHEN)

'China's national team will strive to overtake Japan and South Korea as the soccer leader in Asia within 10-15 years."

Is it a possibility or just a dream? Whatever the case, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) set an ambitious target for the discredited men's team on June 27. A new 10-year program was adopted at a meeting, pledging that the men's national team will work hard to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022.

The plan came after the national team's humiliating 1-5 loss to second-stringers from Thailand on June 15 in yet another blow to the tattered reputation of the Chinese men's soccer team. Earlier in June, the team lost to Uzbekistan and the Netherlands.

The three defeats at home and the fact that the national team has only won once this year—beating Iraq in March—have not only left the public furious at the coach and players, but also led them to doubt the way of Chinese soccer development was being handled.

More than 37 percent of 150,000 Sina.com users said that the team lost because players did not try their best or have any fighting spirit.

"The coach should take some of the responsibility. However, without a competitive system, we cannot have better players or get current players to improve, and there is no supervision system for player selection," said Ma Dexing, Deputy Editor in Chief of the Changsha-based Titan Sports.

A scapegoat?

The embarrassing loss on June 15 has also ended the tenure of Spanish coach José Antonio Camacho. On June 24, the CFA announced that it had reached an agreement with Camacho to terminate his contract as coach of the national team.

"After analyzing the whole performance of Camacho's squad in the previous 22 months, the Coaching Committee reckoned the Spaniard's reign a failure," said the CFA. The Coaching Committee is an advisory body established by the CFA on national team affairs.

With the sponsorship of Chinese real estate company Dalian Wanda Group, the CFA replaced domestic coach Gao Hongbo and signed a three-year contract with Camacho in August 2011.

Instead of making improvements, however, the Spaniard's tenure was a series of disappointments. Shortly after his appointment, China suffered an early knockout in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The national team lost to Brazil 8-0 in September last year, and saw its FIFA ranking slip to an all-time low of 109th in March. China ranks 95th now.

Under Camacho, China won seven matches out of 20, losing 11 and drawing two.

"He ignored the importance of ground passing, which suits the team, and had poor communication with players and the CFA, especially regarding player selection," said Wang Hong, a Beijing-based sports commentator and former athlete.

However, Ma held a different opinion. "Camacho should take some responsibility, but firing him is again an excuse to avoid the real problems that have brought endless failures, no matter who came to coach," he said.

Since 1992, the Chinese men's soccer team has had 11 coaches including seven foreigners, resulting in inconsistent tactics.

Former Dutch international Arie Haan also agreed that the Chinese national team lacks consistency.

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