On September 5th, in the Asian Qualifiers for the World Cup, the Chinese men’s national team suffered a humiliating 0-7 defeat away to Japan, getting off to a disastrous start.
According to statistics from the official website of the Chinese Football Association, before this match, the Chinese men’s senior team had faced Japan 30 times, with a total record of 7 wins, 8 draws, and 15 losses, scoring 28 goals and conceding 37.
The last time the national team defeated Japan was back in 1998, when China won 2-0 at the Tokyo National Stadium, thanks to two goals by Li Bing.
Today’s match also set a new record for the largest margin of defeat between the two teams. The scoreline and performance on the pitch clearly demonstrated the gap in strength between the national team and Japan.
On November 19th this year, the national team will face Japan again at their home ground in Xiamen.