China two hot for Lions
Friday, 26 January, 2007
Two first half goals from the hosts saw Hope Powell's side lose the Four Nations Tournament opener.
China 2-0 England
Four Nations Tournament
England, China, USA and Germany
8am, Friday 26 January 2007 (GMT)
Guangdong Olympic Sports Centre, China
England have started their Four Nations Tournament campaign with a 2-0 defeat to China in the Guangdong Olympic Stadium.
England started the game with Siobhan Chamberlain making only her second start in goal, Jody Handley playing through the middle and Sue Smith wide on the left, with Katie Chapman returning to midfield after missing the Germany game in October.
With a small crowd making lots of noise with their drums and whistles, China started the game at a high tempo and striker Liu Sa headed over with just a minute on the clock.
Two minutes later the hosts took the lead. Alex Scott was dispossessed by Zhang Ying on the right flank. The tall midfielder strode forward before drilling a low shot from 25 yards inside Chamberlain's near post to put The Three Lions immediately on the back foot.
The goal galvanised the already powerful home side and Han Duan had a header ruled out on 10mins for a push following a corner.
Duan showed why she is held in such high regard when another run and shot was palmed away by Chamberlain in the 20th minute.
At that point England were finding it hard to build even a small passage of play but then Kelly Smith and Karen Carney began to get more on the ball.
Alex Scott volleyed wide following a corner, Kelly Smith fired narrowly over after good work from Carney down the right and Smith again had a free-kick which drifted just over the China bar.
Five minutes before half-time, Scott came closest to restoring parity when after a corner was only partially cleared, the Arsenal full back hooked the ball goalwards, only to see Weng Xinzhi head off the line.
With half-time seconds away, China struck a hammer blow. A corner from the left from Shi Mengyu was swung over deep and Duan came steaming in at the far post to head China's second goal.
At half-time Hope Powell brought on Lindsay Johnson for Karen Carney, with Alex Scott moving into midfield.
China's attacking forays became more limited but Duan came close to adding a third on 55minutes, chesting the ball down from a diagonal pass and missing the target by inches.
With both sides ringing the changes, England began to spend more time in the opposition half but were finding chances hard to create, despite the hard running of Jody Handley.
With two minutes left on the clock China came close to adding a third. Liu Sa was played in by Yue Min but with Chamberlain sprawling at her feet, Sa skewed her shot wide from a tight angle.
The returning Emily Westwood almost got England on the scoresheet with the last kick of the game, but her audacious shot from 30 yards landed on the roof of the net.
England: Siobhan Chamberlain, Alex Scott, Casey Stoney (Rachel Unitt, 87mins), Katie Chapman, Anita Asante, Mary Phillip, Karen Carney (Lindsay Johnson, 46mins), Fara Williams, Jody Handley (Lianne Sanderson, 73mins), Kelly Smith (Emily Westwood, 62mins), Sue Smith
China: Zhang Yanru (Han Wenxia, 84mins), Weng Xinzhi (Liu Huana, 76mins), Lie Jie, Pu Wie, Zhou Gaoping, Yue Min, Zhang Ying, Qu Feifei (Lou Xiaoxu, 71mins), Shi Mengyu (Zhang Tong, 65mins), Han Duan (Ma Xiaoxu, 80mins), Liu Sa
