Chinese President Xi Jinping is reported to be a big soccer fan, and he promised in a 2015 document to resuscitate the men's national team, damaged by abysmal results on the global stage and widespread corruption in local leagues.
He cannot be happy.
Japan defeated China 7-0 on Thursday in a World Cup qualifier in Saitama, Japan, a brutal loss that came against one of China's biggest sports and geopolitcal rivals in Asia. It was China's most lopsided loss against Japan, and a historic loss in World Cup qualifying.
China's national team coach Branko Ivankovic of Croatia called it a "most difficult night," as quoted in English by the official Xinhua news agency, which termed the loss "humiliating."
Wataru Endo and Kaoru Mitoma scored in the first half on a night of Asian World Cup qualifiers . Takumi Minamino scored twice in the second half with others from Daizen Maeda, Junya Ito and Takefusa Kubo.
