China stinging, but proud, after Cup loss to Japan

After the game, which China lost 1-3, hundreds of exasperated fans shouted anti-Japanese slurs, hurled bottles and overturned road barriers in a face-off with riot police outside the stadium in central Beijing.

Most were dispersed by midnight, but some continued to demonstrate at the hotel where the Japanese side was staying and near the cordoned-off Japanese embassy.

The popular tabloid Beijing Times labelled the game a “deciding match without a champion”.

China coach Arie Haan refused to collect his runner-up medal in protest at the officiating of Kuwaiti referee Saad Kameel.

“The first goal was from a free kick to Japan that should have gone to us, the second was a handball and the third was after a foul on Sun Jihai,” he said after the match.

Still, given the politically charged atmosphere of the rivalry, fuelled by bitter resentment over Japan’s wartime invasion and occupation of parts of China, Chinese newspapers were fairly restrained.

None reported the post-game scuffles with police, stressing that the vast majority of the Chinese fans left quietly after the disappointing game.

The Workers’ Daily gave a similar evaluation the Chinese team’s performance.

“The current national team has a fatal weakness: it lacks a front line that can score goals,” it said.