True steel keeps Cup dream alive

Spain's 24 attempts on goal (nine on target), compared to China's one (not on target) told the whole story.

The Steel Roses' inadequacies on attack weren't helped by a first-half injury to top scorer Wang Shanshan, who was withdrawn at halftime, while Paris Saint-Germain star Wang Shuang again looked off the pace as her recent dip in form continued.

Still, China's gutsy display resonated with fans back home, with topics related to the match viewed 40 million times on Weibo by Tuesday morning.

Fans, however, should not be expecting a return to the glory days when China won silver medals at the 1996 Olympics and the 1999 World Cup, according to renowned soccer pundit Huang Jianxiang.

"Many people asked why it was so hard for Team China to win a game at the Women's World Cup and why we are supposed to be happy about China's advancement to the knockout stage," Huang wrote on Weibo.

"Actually, women's world soccer is now very different from two decades ago, and Team China has no obvious advantages anymore. Decades ago, women's soccer was still in its infancy worldwide, and the Chinese squad took the lead.

"Now more and more countries are focused on women's soccer and many of them boast strong men's teams and great tradition in the game. They have more resources and more comprehensive youth training systems.

"So, there's a gap between the development of Chinese women's soccer and the world's powerhouses. We have not won any continental championship for years.

"We should all recognize the difficult situation that the Steel Roses are facing right now and we should all respect them."

China's next opponent will be the winner of Group C or D, to be played either in Valenciennes on Sunday or in Montpellier next Tuesday (June 25).

Before Tuesday's Group C matches, Italy and England topped those groups, although Brazil and Japan were capable of usurping them.

Jia said his troops will use the coming days to recuperate and make adjustments for the next round.

"It's an improvement that we were able to follow our plan and play the match step-by-step under so much pressure," said Jia.

"I have a clear understanding of our future aims, and we will conclude them after the tournament."