Urban anchoring boosts soccer culture

With the Chinese national team struggling in World Cup qualifiers, there's a new focus on enhancing the fortunes of city-sponsored squads at the grassroots level in order to boost the nation's chances of becoming a future soccer power.

At the National Games in Tianjin, a new approach to soccer is establishing solid ties between cities and clubs to offer a platform for amateurs and professionals.

Eight clubs in the country's third-division league are at the 13th National Games. They made it to the finals after advancing from a qualification round of 16, which included both professional and amateur squads.