Nurturing players key to soccer success
ICELAND'S impressive 1:1 draw against Argentina in the ongoing World Cup in Russia has stirred a heated discussion on how China can emulate the performance of the tiny Nordic island country. Qianjiang Evening News comments:
The discussion mainly focuses on three things: Iceland's population of only about 340,000; some of its national team members earning their living by doing other jobs; and the country's low average temperature not being ideal for playing soccer.
In contrast, China has a population of more than 1.3 billion; Chinese players' incomes, mainly from their clubs, can be compared with some of the top teams in the world but still the Chinese national team ranks between 80th and 90th in the world; and in general the climate in China is ideal for playing soccer.
