China: 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup Champions

Navi Mumbai: China PR came from two goals down to defeat Korea Republic 3-2 in a pulsating AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022™ final at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

Korea Republic looked to be cruising to their first crown after taking a 2-0 lead at half-time but China PR fought back after the break through goals from Tang Jiali, Zhang Linyan and Xiao Yuyi - who netted the winner deep into added time to seal her side a record-extending ninth title. 

China PR head coach Shui Qingxia hailed her players’ performance in capturing their historic ninth title.

“This is the most critical moment for China PR women’s football,” said Shui. “Despite trailing 2-0 my players showed determination to fight back. I like to thank all the players for winning the title but they also won it for themselves.”

Korea Republic head coach Colin Bell was proud of his players despite missing out on their first title.

"I'm proud of the players, I told them that after the match," said Bell. "We need to keep improving and not let this defeat diminish our spirit. We're bitterly disappointed. We need to be stronger mentally. The penalty against us, took our concentration away."

China PR entered the final chasing their first title since 2006 against a Korea Republic side who had never laid their hands on the coveted trophy.

China PR, unbeaten in seven previous meetings with Korea Republic, started the game brightly and had the first look at goal within seconds when Wu Chengshu played the ball to Tang Jiali just above the area, but the midfielder’s effort was easily dealt with by Korea Republic goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi.

China PR continued to press with Zhang Xin trying from 35 yards out while Wang Shuang saw her effort in the 10th minute saved by Kim.

Korea Republic began to see more of the ball as the half progressed and were rewarded with their first look at goal in the 27th minute, with Lee Geum-min breaking into the box before sending a cross to Choe Yu-Ri to score the 100th goal of the tournament.

With Korea Republic in the ascendancy, China PR survived a scare at the half-hour mark, goalkeeper Zhou Yu pulling off a point-blank save to deny Lim Seon-Joo’s header off a free-kick.

China PR, however, suffered more woe in the closing stages of the first half when a VAR review saw Korea Republic awarded a penalty for Yao Lingwei’s handball, with Ji So-yun converting from the spot. 

China PR head coach Shui sent on Xiao Yuyi and Zhang Rui at the start of the second half to force their way back into the game but Korea Republic gave them little room to operate in the early stages.

China PR, however, received a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty for Lee Young-ju’s handball, with Tang Jiali netting from the spot in the 68th minute.

Boosted by the goal, China PR began to dictate play and drew level four minutes later thanks to some poor defending by Korea Republic. 

Goalscorer Tang did well to beat two Korea Republic defenders before sending a delightful cross into the six-yard-box for an unmarked Zhang Linyan to nod home the equaliser. 

Korea Republic could have then won it at the death with Zhou Yu pulling off a one handed save before defender Wang Xiaoxue blocked Son Hwa-Yeon’s effort.

Having escaped, China PR broke Korea Republic's hearts in added time with Xiao Yuyi stunningly finishing off Wang Shanshan’s pass as a record-extending ninth title was sealed. 

Wait a sec, I smell a little hypocrisy here...

China urges North, South Korea to end confrontation

BEIJING | Sat Dec 18, 2010 7:06pm EST

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi urged both North and South Korea to open talks and avoid steps that could inflame tensions on the peninsula, extending Beijing's effort to contain confrontation on its doorstep.
Yang made the comments in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on its website (www.mfa.gov.cn) on Sunday, when the United Nations Security Council is due to discuss the volatile standoff between North and South Korea.
Beijing has sought to avoid becoming embroiled in the bitter rift between its two neighbours, and Yang neither directly criticised Seoul's plan to hold a live-fire military drill nor Pyongyang's threat to retaliate if the drill goes ahead.
But the Chinese Foreign Minister warned that tensions on the Korean peninsula risked running out of control and shaking the entire region.
"The situation on the peninsula remains tense and there's a risk of further deterioration and escalation," Yang told Lavrov late on Saturday, according to the Foreign Ministry's account.
"China resolutely opposes any actions that could inflame tensions and exacerbate the situation, and asks that both sides of the peninsula exercise calm and restraint and open up dialogue and contacts," said Yang.
Less senior Chinese officials made similar calls on Saturday.
The South Korean military had planned the exercise for December 18-21 off the small island of Yeonpyeong, which was struck by a North Korean bombardment last month. But military officials quoted by the South's Yonhap news agency said the drills were likely to be delayed by fog and wind.
China has long stood as North Korea's only major ally and economic backer, and the United States and its allies have said Beijing must do more to rein in Pyongyang, which has threatened to strike back if the planned drills go ahead.
Yang's comments hinted, however, that Beijing has little confidence that it can bring to heel North Korea.
China wanted to work with Russia to "strive to avoid the situation deteriorating out of control," said Yang.
The U.N. Security Council called an emergency session for Sunday at 11 a.m. (1 p.m. EST) to discuss the tensions, council diplomats said on Saturday.
China and Russia are among the five permanent members of the Council, along with the United States, France and Britain.

Censor this, you Communist hacks!

China stifles Obama charisma


By Stephen Collinson (AFP) – 1 hour ago


BEIJING — Something got lost in transit in US President Barack Obama's visit to China -- the charismatic rhetoric and dominance of mass communication that took him from nowhere to the White House.


Obama built his political persona with soaring speeches on a grand stage and by reaching out to a vast grassroots network on the Internet.


But in China, Obama's hosts successfully stifled those prodigious public talents, keeping his message from the people with media censorship and smothering it in staid diplo-speak.


On previous foreign trips in his taxing first year in office, the president sent inspiring words winging to millions of satellite dishes in the Muslim world and sparked Obama mania in Europe.


But in China, it has been tougher to reach out to ordinary citizens. His best attempt, a town hall meeting streamed on the White House website, suffered from what was largely a nationwide media blackout.


And Obama's talks on Tuesday with President Hu Jintao were followed by a dull public appearance, with both leaders reading out statements to the media stuffed with diplomatic code words.


The US president shuffled his papers on the lectern, scratched an eyebrow and looked across at Hu, as his host read out a long speech. The arid diplomatic translations made the occasion seem even more sterile.


Chinese officials several times warned the hundreds of reporters present, whom they referred to as "dear friends," that questions were banned. There was no chance for Obama to deploy his persuasive political personality.


Clearly, the raucous political dialogue seen in American elections and politics is alien to communist-ruled China where sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are heavily censored.


But it seems Obama is ready to play a "long game" on China policy, and is willing to take domestic media hits over a lack of progress now, in the hope of results later on.


Equally, the White House did not expect opportunities for Obama's populist politics offered elsewhere in the world, or that the US president could transform the political environment alone.


"I did not expect, I can speak authoritatively for the president on this, that we thought the waters would part and everything would change over the course of our two-and-a-half-day trip to China," said Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs.


Obama aides report that while his public persona may be out of view, the first-year president has emerged as a forceful negotiator with Chinese leaders, and is firing off questions about life here.


US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman said Obama was "extremely effective" in private and a strong advocate for the country as a president "who talks about our traditions and is able to explain it to all those who are listening."


White House aides prefer not to dwell on the differences, and instead talk about how he is developing a relationship with China that will be invaluable for working on the world's most pressing problems.


Obama used his town hall meeting in Shanghai to issue a call for the unshackling of the Internet.


But Chinese authorities appeared to make attempts to stack the audience with students willing to follow the government line.


At least two of the four youths Obama picked to ask their own questions were later identified as Communist Youth League members.


The event did air on local television, but appears not to have had national exposure. Hopes that the official Xinhua news agency would stream it live did not materialise.


The state mouthpiece instead posted a running transcript of the meeting, erecting a barrier between Obama's personality and everyday Chinese.


Several Chinese bloggers praised Obama's efforts, and said his call to pull down the "Great Firewall of China" would provide valuable ammunition for Chinese web users.


"Obama's answer... is very interesting, because he is the first president who talks about this, and it will move and urge the Chinese government to think," said one blogger, known as Beifeng.


Another blogger, Zuola, also welcomed Obama's intervention -- which was sparked by a question submitted by email read out by Huntsman.


But he said the town hall meeting was simply a "game" played out under strict Chinese supervision.


"The Chinese government surely does not like those who are not in their control," he said.


Obama's trip to Shanghai only got covered in passing on the main evening news on state-run nationwide broadcaster CCTV on Monday, which devoted most of its time to Hu's trip to the Asia-Pacific summit.




The town hall meeting was not mentioned at all.

Labor Day Quick Hits

Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Hanna have been assigned to send hell in a storm basket to Louisiana and Georgia, respectively. Gustave made landfall about a few hours ago, while Hanna is warming up for the beatdown by upgrading to a Category 1 hurricane.

Get in on, both of you.


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36 people in China lose their lives in a 5.7 earthquake in Sichuan Province. And Mother Nature's wrath wreak havoc as Hi Jintao heart hardens like the Pharaoh of Egypt in the Biblical days.

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I am quietly compiling some results for a video on the International Saimoe League 2008, subject to approval to the commisioner of the league (the webmaster of the site, in layman terms). It will just be a simple slideshow, complete with results.

Nothing too special.

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It's Labor Day today. No work means some R&r, but for me, it's on the eve of a return to class.

I gotta get some stuff ready. That means a backpack full of books and binders, and plenty of writing apparati.

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I am elated after getting those DVDs out of the way. I needed to back up all those Olympic Games footage. All that's remaining is a few Closing Ceremony clips, an iso of the Opening Ceremony, and a few soccer games.

So Melbourne Victory did get some early silverware, after all…

Go figure. I thought the match ended in a draw (blasted GlobalScore), but the game between Tianjin Teda and Melbourne Victory did go to penalties, with Victory winning the shootout, 6-5. The Chinese teams seem to be tough nuts to crack for Melbourne Victory. This will be some nice momentum heading into their Pre-Season Cup campaign. Best of luck putting the boots to Adelaide United once again.

And I hope Australia gets their mojo back putting the boots to Iraq. The last thing I would like to see is the Roos getting an early exit. Believe in yourselves, Australia. Save the SexyBall when you got a stranglehold on them.

So that's the poor fellow's name...

Cho Seung-Hui. As an Asian-American, I have to feel for the family of this guy. I don't know if this was an attempt to impress Kim Jong-Il and company, but it was an ill-fated attempt, to put it nicely. I had to edit this post after finding some new info.

But let's cut to the chase. There are other things he could have done other than this.

For example: he could have gone here and settled down with the Anime Club or the Pilipino-American Coalition. Alternatively, he could be Zeta, as in a member of Zeta Phi Rho. Or he could have been an active member of SPJA, and helped continue Anime Expo's legacy of being the original, and still the best, anime convention in North America.

In short, Cho Seung-Hui could have done something better with his life. Heck, if he was majoring in Info Systems like me, I could have found another tutor to help me with my Stat work and Oracle scripting. Instead, he resorted to this.

And I don't know where his soul will be, but I doubt even the likes of famous Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaopeng, or even Cheng Kai-shek, heck, even Confucius would approve of such an act.