Soccer players' fate delayed by storm

Host China will have to wait one more day to see if it will qualify for the quarterfinals of FIFA Women's World Cup after a typhoon caused the postponement of a Group D match in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

China takes on New Zealand today in Tianjin but the other group tie between Brazil and Denmark, which should have taken place at the same time, will now be played tomorrow after the local organizing committee, Chinese authorities governing body FIFA rescheduled the storm-plagued fixture yesterday.

The match also scheduled for today between Norway and Ghana was also changed and will now be played tomorrow in Hangzhou rather than in Shanghai, as originally planned.

Even if China beats an unfancied Kiwi side, its life will still hang in the balance until the final whistle of Denmark's match.

Brazil is as good as through with a huge for-and-against differential while China and Denmark are closely matched for the remaining quarterfinal spot.

Even New Zealand still has a slim hope but would virtually need a miracle.

For China to qualify, it has to either better Denmark's result or, in the event both sides win, achieve a victory margin five goals greater than the Danes'.

But the Steel Roses remain confident because history is heavily in their favor.

China has dominated New Zealand in the past, winning all six encounters, and no host team in World Cup history has suffered the ignominy of a group-stage exit.

Speculation abounds that starting goalkeeper in the first two matches Han Wenxia will be replaced after a string of mistakes.

Teenage goalkeeper Zhang Yanru, heroine of China's runner-up finish at last year's U-20 Women's World Championship, will reportedly take over.

But coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors is keeping her selection cards close.

"You will see who will be on the court by tomorrow. I only send the best players to play," she told Xinhua News Agency yesterday.

Domanski-Lyfors also noted that the other group match was out of China's control and that it only had to focus on today's match.

"I can only try my best to win tomorrow's match - the other match is out of my control and all I can do is to win," she said.

(China Daily 09/19/2007 page24)