SHANGHAI: Spain-based striker Wu Lei scored twice as China thrashed Guam 7-0 in the second round of Asia’s qualifying tournament for the 2022 World Cup on Sunday in front of almost 30,000 fans in Suzhou.
The Espanyol forward opened the scoring in coach Li Tie’s first competitive game as head coach and netted his side’s third, with Jin Jingdao, Wu Xi and Elkeson also on target before Alan Carvalho’s late brace.
The handsome victory over the US island territory moves China into second place in Group ‘A’, five points behind leaders Syria and three clear of the Philippines in third place.
Only the group winners are guaranteed to advance to the next round of Asia’s preliminaries along with the four runners-up across the eight groups with the best records.
In Li Tie’s first match since being permanently named China coach in January last year, Wu Lei gave the Chinese the lead from the penalty spot in the 20th minute, nonchalantly stroking the ball past Dallas Jaye after being upended in the area by Marlon Evens.
Jin Jingdao doubled China’s advantage six minutes before the break when he latched on to Wu Xi’s perfectly weighted through ball. Wu Lei claimed his second 10 minutes after the interval, sweeping his effort home after Zhang Xizhe’s cut back.
Wu, who struggled for game time this season as Espanyol won promotion back to Spain’s top tier, was subbed off with just under 30 minutes left.
Wu Xi side-footed in from inside the six-yard box in the 61st minute to put China 4-0 up, and Brazil-born Guangzhou FC striker Elkeson added the fifth midway through the half with a powerful downward header.
Carvalho, another of China’s naturalised Brazilian players, pushed Zhang Yuning’s centre over the line with his thigh six minutes from time and scored his second of the night four minutes later when he headed in Wei Shihao’s cross.
China have ambitions to host and even win a World Cup one day, but they are ranked 77th in the FIFA rankings and have begun naturalising players in recent years to boost their 2022 chances.
All remaining Group A matches for all five teams will take place in a secure “bubble” in Suzhou as part of measures to thwart the coronavirus.
China face the Maldives on Thursday, followed by more difficult games against the Philippines and Syria. China’s most likely route to the next stage of qualifying for Qatar is as one of the best second-placed teams in the Asian groups.
Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2021
