Coach Li takes responsibility, quits the job

BEIJING - The Chinese women's soccer team was expected to defeat Australia and then fight a tough battle against world champion Japan in its final London Olympic qualifier on Sunday.

However, that expected "battle" has merely turned into a farewell game for coach Li Xiaopeng and striker Han Duan, who both quit after China lost to Australia 1-0 on Thursday.

The 36-year-old coach, who took charge of the national team last August, took responsibility for the squad's failure and announced his resignation at a post-match press conference.