Alas, when that historic battle occurred, the Americans won. For many Chinese, the defeat rankled; local resentment against the United States still simmers in the wake of NATO’s bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Although the final took place before sunrise in Beijing, the city’s police appeared ready for trouble, congregating in unusual strength not far from the U.S. Embassy. The streets remained quiet.
Nationalist rancor aside, though, the Chinese women inspired deep admiration among the country’s growing ranks of fans. “After being cold-shouldered for about eight years,” stated the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper, “our women’s football team is surrounded by a frenzy.”
That may be, but frenzy doesn’t translate into cash. Chairman Mao once declared “women hold up half the sky”–but women players’ salaries and perks lag far behind those of their more famous male counterparts. (Unable to afford custom-made uniforms, for example, the Chinese women’s team plays in men’s togs.) China’s top women players earn only about $360 a month–compared with male stars who are worth several thousand. And yet, time and again, the women have outperformed the men. “Their income is pathetic, but our women should be a model for our men,” remarked Wu Yi.
To the last heartbreaking penalty kick of the tournament, China’s skillful, athletic play made stars of the team. There was the goalkeeper Gao Hong, known as The Great Wall; there was Sun Wen, a 26-year-old Shanghai university student who writes poetry and croons “Candle in the Wind” at karaoke sessions. Sun, said American coach Tony DiCicco, is an “all-around great player.”
But all the skill in the world couldn’t overcome an American team playing before 90,000 delirious fans. This was a grudge match for more reasons than the Belgrade bombing; in 1991 the U.S. team won the first Women’s World Cup–which was held in China–and in 1996 it beat China for the Olympic gold medal. Last week one Internet-bulletin-board participant in Beijing implored Chinese ticketholders at the Rose Bowl “to shout loud and sing our national anthem. It’s up to you!” Another exhorted the Chinese women to “wipe out the American she-wolves.”
The usual excuses will doubtless be trotted out in the wake of the Chinese loss. Already Beijing sports fans have groused about the Americans’ home-field advantage. Local newspapers pointed out that the Chinese team had to shuttle coast to coast–17,000 miles in two weeks–for its matches, traveling twice as much as the American team did. “The girls are exhausted,” coach Ma Yuanan told the People’s Daily. “Some just fell asleep in the middle of our meetings.”
They looked plenty lively last Saturday, holding the Americans scoreless through 120 minutes of relentless competition. In the end they just weren’t quite good enough or lucky enough to beat an American team playing with the fervor of born champions. Next time, maybe.
