Fifa Women’s World Cup: can China shift the gloom in must-win clash with Haiti? Time off is key, coach says
- Defeat in Adelaide, after opening loss to Denmark, would effectively end China’s campaign before their last group game against England
- China coach Shui Qingxia tells her team to ‘put aside the last match and take a good rest and then adjust ourselves’
China coach Shui Qingxia leads her team into their must-win Fifa Women’s World Cup clash with Haiti on Friday hoping a hiatus from the tournament’s pressures will help them keep alive their chances of progressing.
Defeat in Adelaide against Haiti, who arrived unfancied but pushed England during a 1-0 loss in their first game, would effectively end China’s challenge before their clash with the European champions on Tuesday.
But after giving her players time off to recalibrate and attempting to keep the mood positive, Shui is seeking to move on from the Denmark defeat and instead focus on the task that lies ahead.
“The first match was unfortunate,” said Shui, who saw her team lose against the Danes courtesy of a 90th-minute header from Amalie Vangsgaard. “I should say we are sorry to concede a loss in the last minute.
“We have two more matches to tackle, so [I told the players to] put aside the last match and take a good rest and then adjust ourselves to do our very best.
