China

Asian Cup 2011 Teams: China

Road to Qatar

Finished second behind Syria in Group D but were never in any real danger of not qualifying. China had home and away wins over Vietnam and Lebanon but were held to a 0-0 draw at home by the Syrians after losing away.

This is the 10th time China has participated in the Asian Cup finals.

Fixtures

Group A

China v Kuwait; 8 January 2011, Al-Gharafa, Doha

China v Qatar; 12 January 2011, Khalifa, Doha

China v Uzbekistan; 16 January 2011, Al-Gharafa, Doha

Analysis

China have opted for youth at the competition with an average age in the squad just 24. The likes of Zheng Zhi and Li Weifeng are no longer around.

Not only that, it has a strong local flavour with only Schalke's Hao Junmin travelling from overseas to join with the squad.

That squad has been picking up some decent results in the past year, most notably a comprehensive 3-0 win over South Korea as they won the East Asian Championship in Japan. It was a first ever triumph over their eastern neighbours and well-celebrated at home as was the 1-0 win over France just ahead of the World Cup.

The failure to reach that has led to a few changes in Chinese football. The fall-out eventually led to Gao Hongbo getting the job and the relatively young coach has let his team do the talking on the pitch and has stemmed the almost constant flow of criticism that comes the national team's way.

Expectations have increased with the good results but few back home think that China are going to win their first ever continental title or even reach the final for the third time.

An appearance in the knockout stage would be satisfactory as the team does not yet have the cutting edge in attack to put games out of reach. A lack of creative flair going forward may not be compensated for this hard-working and energetic team.

Key player: Du Wei

Best known in Europe for a short-lived spell with Celtic, Du has matured into a commanding centre-back. His leadership skills are exactly what this young teams needs. He is also something of a threat from set pieces and at the age of 28, is a veritable veteran in the Chinese ranks.

One to watch: Deng Zhuoxiang

The skilful 22-year-old midfielder made a name for himself at the East Asian Championships in Japan in 2010. He has the ability to do something similar on a continental level. Good going forward with the ball at his feet, he also strikes a mean free-kick and has a bright future.

Coach: Gao Hongbo

Just 44, Gao took over the team in April 2009 when it was at a pretty low ebb. He has cleared out established stars such as Zheng Zhi and invested in youth. So far he has been rewarded with decent results. Gao assisted Arie Haan when the Dutchman was in charge of the national team and followed that with a championship triumph with Changchun Yatai in 2007. China crashed out in the first round in 2007 and a place beyond that in 2011 would almost certainly ensure that Gao gets the chance to take the team through qualification for the World Cup.

Record

Runner-up 1984, 2004

Soccerphile says

The group is an open one and shouldn't present the Chinese with too many fears and the team should really be able to make the knockout stage.

The Squad

Goalkeepers: Yang Zhi (Beijing Guoan), Guan Zhen (Jiangsu Sainty), Zeng Cheng (Henan Construction)
Defenders: Li Xuepeng (Dalian Shide), Wang Qiang (Changsha Ginde), Zhao Peng (Henan Construction), Du Wei (Hangzhou Greentown), Liu Jianye (Jiangsu Sainty), Zhang Linpeng (Guangzhou Evergrande), Rong Hao (Hangzhou Greentown), Li Jianbin (Chengdu Blades)
Midfielders: Zhou Haibin (Shandong Luneng), Zhao Haibin (Shaanxi Zhongjian), Hao Junmin (Schalke 04), Deng Zhuoxiang (Shandong Luneng), Wang Song (Hangzhou Greentown), Yu Tao (Shanghai Shenhua), Huang Bowen (Beijing Guoan), Yang Hao (Beijing Guoan), Yu Hai (Shaanxi Zhongjian)
Forwards: Yang Xu (Liaoning Whowin), Qu Bo (Shaanxi Zhongjian), Gao Lin (Guangzhou Evergrande)

The winner of the Asian Cup takes part in the Confederations Cup.

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