As Roses crash out, it's time to face thorny problems

It was a clash of continental champions, but the drift in the fortunes of England and China at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide on Tuesday could not have been more stark.

The Steel Roses were well and truly pruned as the Lionesses ran rampant, finding the back of the net six times (eight, if you count the two disallowed by VAR for some incredibly narrow offsides), in what can only be described as a live-action horror show for the slew of vocal, dedicated Chinese fans in attendance — who to their huge credit, never let up the rhythmic chant of Jia you, Zhong Guo (Come on, China) to an incessantly beating drum, despite the drubbing unfolding before them.

Going into the game China had lost only once to England in five meetings, with a single drawn game between the pair. Deceptively flattering stats given the converse trajectories the two sides have been on for some time.

China was a pioneer of the modern women's game, investing heavily in the sport when FIFA officially sanctioned women's soccer in 1985, but by the time the likes of England, Brazil and Italy et al, got involved at the turn of the century, the Steel Roses' successes were built on a foundation that was already crumbling beneath their feet, as investment waned, and the domestic game compressed.

It marked the start of a prolonged period of decline for Team China, that only showed signs of abating a year ago, with the surprise victory at the 2022 Asian Cup.

As China's footballing fortunes began to sink, England went from tentatively dipping a toe in the pool, to wrestling with sharks. With a vibrant domestic league, which enjoys prime-time TV coverage and a growing fan base fueled by the history-making European Championship last summer, England came into the game very the much favorite — not just on Tuesday, but arguably for the whole tournament.

After a stuttering start to its campaign, it was keen to put down a marker and secure a last-16 berth in style.

From the first whistle, China looked like a lone baby gazelle in the sights of a pack of hungry Lionesses. For that first, decisive, half an hour they were timid, reactive and constantly in retreat.

England, on the other hand, looked sharp, incisive and relentless — all qualities that were once synonymous with the Steel Roses.

It took all of four minutes for Alessia Russo to find the goal, and 22 minutes later, Chinese goalkeeper Zhu Yu was picking another out of her net. There was no respite for the outclassed Chinese, as Lauren James picked up the first of her brace with a spectacular strike on the 41-minute mark, before VAR denied her another minutes later.

The first 20 minutes of the second half saw a much thornier bunch of Steel Roses, laying siege to England's 18-yard box and producing a few gilt-edged chances, with Wu Chengshu forcing Mary Earps into a diving save with a testing shot to the lower right post. The resulting corner ended with China being awarded a penalty, which was dispatched by Wang Shuang.

It was a glimpse of what, with maybe less conservative tactics, the Steel Roses could be capable of. It was also, sadly, short-lived.

It wasn't long before James again found the back of the Chinese net with a stunning volley.

With all hope of a knockout berth a distant memory, Chen Qiaozhu fired off a fizzing shot, forcing another fine save from Earps and showing the Chinese fans that the team was going to fight to the final whistle.

However, all the pride and spirit of those women, who gave every drop of energy they could for their country, was not enough to hide the lack of real quality.

The Lionesses' fifth goal was indicative of China's lack of guile, and a naivety that comes with the absence of any real competitive domestic soccer. What Yu was thinking as she blundered out of her box to close down Chloe Kelly can only be speculated upon — put it this way, it made Elon Musk's recent business decisions look coherent and astute.

As the curtain fell on an ignominious defeat, the Chinese players greeted and applauded their unwavering supporters.

It's important to note that qualifying for a World Cup is an achievement in itself, and doing so for the women's event, even more so. If you don't top your pool, it's a long, convoluted process and takes a huge amount of stamina and character.

Not one iota of condemnation should fall upon the 22 women in red, who have proudly represented their country on the world's biggest stage, though I imagine Shui Qingxia will shoulder most of the blame, and could pay the price for failing to make the knockouts in Australia with her position as head coach.

However, this result only goes to show that winning the Asian Cup, while encouraging, was merely papering over the deep chasms of resources, vision and competitiveness that hamstring the women's game in China.

There is no quick fix. It will require effort, determination and, most importantly, backing at the highest level of the sport's domestic administration. Whether any of that transpires is yet to be seen.

Fortunately, there is an almost immediate opportunity to at least steady the ship, with the Asian Games in Hangzhou looming large, and after that, qualification for the Paris Olympics.

There is a month to take stock and reset expectations, to draft a new blueprint for women's soccer in China, and start planting the seeds required to produce hardy, perennially successful crops of Steel Roses.