体坛英语新闻：French drive plus local nous to revive women

WUHAN - Elizabeth Loisel, newly-established head coach of the Chinese women's football national team, and her backroom staff are embarking on a fraught voyage, which is reckoned bound for a far-fetched destination.

Newly-appointed China's women's soccer coach Elizabeth Loisel from France watches soccer games at the 6th Chinese City Games in Xiaogan of central China's Hubei Province November 1, 2007. The new coach has started her coaching in China to lead the team to next year's Olympics. [Xinhua]

Loisel, 44, who has been tasked by the contract she signed with the Chinese Football Association (CFA) days ago to guide the "Rose of Steel" to a podium place in the 2008 Olympic Games, is now counting on her determination and her Chinese kicksides' experience to transform the Chinese side.

One of her Chinese right-hand man is Wang Haiming who has been with the team since 2003.

"I will bring in two assistants from France, but I will not force the Chinese staff out after taking charge," Loisel said on being appointed.

The issue of how to work with the Chinese trainers had turned out a sticking point for Marika Domanski-Lyfors, Loisel's predecessor, and the Chinese football governing body.

Domanski-Lyfors had always demanded more leeway within the team and would like to see the removal of the Chinese staff, but the CFA insisted on their stay.

During the Swede's reign, Wang, arguably the most knowledgeable brain of Chinese women's football, had even been reduced to work as a technician mainly responsible for editing some game video tapes.

Wang, a quite withdrawn character, dutifully did his work and seemed very aggrieved.

"I can't go on like this," he complained.

As he was pondering over quit, his fate took a much fulfilling turn when Loisel took over from Domanski-Lyfors.

"I am willing to work with the Chinese trainers the CFA will assign for me, their knowledge and experience will be very helpful," the former France head coach said.

Wang, now ensconced under Loisel, said he would pitch in to help the French fulfil her ambition.

"Elisabeth is very respectful to us Chinese, she has drawn up a detailed plan. I will try my best to help her," he said.

Loisel now has gone into overdrive but came across some unexpected teething problems during her outfit's first training camp.

She looked a little agitated to see some players consistently failed to deliver accurate passes from the flanks when unmarked.

She yelled at them: "Could you please pass more accurately?"

"To be honest, in terms of skill, some players fall short of my expectations," she told reporters.

The Chinese team, once boasted impressive and superior skills, are now struggling both technically and physically.

"Chinese female footballers suffered a slump in techniques, we have failed to produce quality players," said Ma Yuanan, who guided China into the final of the 1999 World Cup.

"If we continue to ignore the grassroots, the women's football in China is doomed. No matter who is the head coach, the national team will turn out to be a disappointment in the major international tournaments," he said.

The underlying scourge is the top-down football system in China, according to Zhang Wei, a Titan magazine reporter who has been following the Chinese team for years.

"I think Elizabeth is a competent coach, but it is impossible for her to revive the Chinese women's football. We're building a castle in the air, how could she succeed given this background?" he said.

There are only about 4,000 girls from a population of 1.3 billion playing football in China, and the grassroots are all but a mess.

"Indeed we are losing the girls playing football, the number is dwindling," lamented Beijing club coach Yu Kuilian.

"For the girls to play football, it is deemed as anathema to our traditional value. Football has never been treated as a pastime for the girls,

"And our society is now being gripped by a make-money-quick ethos, the girls choose other profession instead of football. We are now facing a talent dearth in women's football," he said.