For what it's worth, China would cash in on World Cup upset of U.S.
By Eric Adelson7 hours agoYahoo Sports
OTTAWA, Ontario – How important is China's match with the United States in the Women's World Cup quarterfinals on Friday? Follow the money.
The Chinese players got a bonus of one million yuan ($160,000) for making it this far and there are reports that a win over the Americans would bring an even bigger windfall for the "Steel Roses." One editor for a newspaper in China tweeted the team bonus would go as high as $644,000, a stark contrast from the players' base salary that is reportedly only $48 a month.
When asked about the possible payday here on Thursday, China defender Wu Haiyan smiled and professed not to know. "Thank you for telling me about this," she quipped at a reporter, breaking up the pressroom in laughter.
While Chinese soccer executives pay for success, Chinese fans are paying attention. The round-of-16 victory over Cameroon last Saturday drew an average of five million viewers back home – numbers that compare to the top ratings in the U.S.
The investment of time, money and attention shows what the Americans are up against, not only in this match but also in most games in this tournament. Beating the Americans in men's soccer is not a huge deal, but beating the Americans in the women's game is historic for a lot of countries. Some here in Canada are looking ahead to a possible meeting between the host nation and the U.S. in Vancouver in the World Cup final, which would be a mirror image of the men's gold medal hockey game in that city at the 2010 Winter Olympics – the host country being the underdog rather than the side with all the pressure.
For the Americans, a loss to China would be a colossal disappointment – a huge setback for the program and perhaps for the latest fledgling women's pro league, National Women's Soccer League. Even a loss in the semifinals would be a major disappointment, but a defeat to the nation that Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm beat in 1999 for the world championship would sting for at least four years.
As for China, head coach Hao Wei said he didn't even watch the 1999 final and has only seen parts of it on replay. He and Wu insisted Friday's game is not about revenge but rather about moving ahead in a new era.
"I don't think it's vengeance," he said Thursday. "It's just a match."
Yes and no. Enough time has passed so that any hurt feelings over 1999 have dissipated, but downplaying the match's magnitude doesn't carry any weight. After all, it was Hao who was ejected after interfering with a New Zealand throw-in in his team's last group game.
Each contest brings millions of watchers and more excitement in China, along with the sense that the team is literally playing with house money. Media companies have invested heavily in ramping up soccer and other athletic pursuits. Even China president Xi Jinping is a big soccer fan.
The Chinese are not as strong in women's soccer as they were back in 1999, but the nation itself is far stronger. Their economy has exploded, their world presence and influence have risen in tandem with that and the Beijing Olympics allowed just a glimpse into China's ambition.
That showed up in what Wu said when asked what a win would mean to her and her country.
"If we have a victory," she said, "it is a victory for us."
No comments:
Post a Comment