Football: In the clash of the two dragons, the bigger Red Dragons out-roared the Dragon Boys when the People’s Republic of China thrashed the Bhutanese team 12-0 at the He Long Stadium, Changsha, Hunan in China, yesterday.
The on-field massacre started as soon as the whistle blew with the Chinese getting their first look at goal less than 30 seconds into the game. Defender Mei Fang scored the first goal in the ninth minute opening the floodgates for 11 more in the next 80 minutes.
Weaving through the Bhutanese defense, striker Yang Xu and partner Yu Dabao scored four and two goals each respectively. Striker Yu Hanchao and substitute Wang Yongpo also scored two goals each and midfielder Zhang Xizhe also registered his name on the score sheet.
The intention was clear, China wanted to score early, and score as many goals as possible in the race to the top of the table, currently held by Qatar with 15 points.
The game plan of the Bhutanese players was unclear. A defensive approach did not work against the much faster and taller Chinese players. The wet and slippery pitch added to the carnage as Bhutanese goalie Hari Gurung could not get a proper grip on the ball.
The home advantage was clearly evident in the game play of the Chinese players. With 67 to 37 percent ball possession, China dominated throughout the 90 minutes with their speed and physique, rampaging over their physically inferior opponents. The miss passes and hasty play from the Dragon Boys clearly showed that the pressure was immense.
The Bhutanese players could attempt only three shots to 39 shots for China, with an on-target shot of 24 to zero for Bhutan. The Chinese made a total of 709 passes to Bhutan’s 231.
With a game in hand, the win maintains China’s position at the third place in Group C of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers with 10 points. Hong Kong defeated Maldives 1-0 in the other game yesterday to retain their position at the second with 13 points.
Bhutan will host Qatar in their second last game of this round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers on November 17 at the Changlimithang stadium.
Younten Tshedup