China PR: In Focus

China Football Association

Current FIFA World Ranking: 16
2015 Women’s World Cup Qualifying: Second in Group B and third place overall at the 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup  
Women’s World Cup Finals Appearances: 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015
Record vs. USA: 8-32-13
Head Coach: Hao Wei
Championship Honors: 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Runner-Up; Winners of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2006
Leading Women’s World Cup Qualifying Scorers: Yang Li (6), Li Dongna (2)
Key Players: Wang Lisi, Wang Shanshan, Wang Fei

China Women’s National Team Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Zhang Yue (Beijing Chengjian), 12-Wang Fei (FFC Turbine Potsdam), 22-Zhao Lina (Shanghai Women)
DEFENDERS (5): 2-Liu Shanshan (Hebei), 4-Li Jiayue (Shanghai Women), 5-Wu Haiyan (Shandong Huangming), 6-Li Dongna (Suwon FMC), 9-Wang Shanshan (Tianjin Huisen)
MIDFIELDERS (11): 3-Pang Fengyue (Dalian Shide), 7-Xu Yanlu (Jiangsu Huatai), 8-Ma Jun (Daejeon Sportstoto WFC), 11-Wang Shuang (Wuhan Jaingda Univ.), 13-Tang Jiali (Shanghai Women), 15-Lei Jiahui (Henan Steel), 18-Peng Han (Tianjin Juisen), 19-Tan Ruyin (Guangdong FC), 20-Zhang Rui (Army Club), 21-Wang Lisi (Jiangsu Huatai), 23-Ren Guixin (Changchun Zhuoyue)
FORWARDS (4): 10-Li Ying (Shandong Huangming), 14-Zhao Rong (Beijing Baxy), 16-Lou Jiahui (Henan Jianye FC), 17-Gu Yahsa (Beijing Chengjian)

CHINA PR ROSTER NOTES

• Forward Gu Yasha is the most capped player on the roster with 89 appearances for China PR.
• Defender Li Dongna and midfielder Ma Jun, who play in the Korea Republic, and goalkeeper Wang Fie (who plays in Germany) are the only players on the roster who play for club teams outside of China.
• Midfielder Ma Jun is the leading scorer on the Chinese roster. She has scored 15 goals in international play.
• The next leading scorer behind Ma is midfielder Zhang Rui, who has scored 11 goals for the Steel Roses.
• Fourteen players that took the field during the last meeting against the USA on Dec. 10, 2014 are part of this World Cup roster, including the goal scorer, Peng.
• The average age of the China roster is 23 years old, with 19-year-old Lei Jiahui being the youngest.
• China PR ended group play with a record of 1-1-1, beating Netherlands 1-0, tying New Zealand 2-2 and losing to Canada 1-0.  It finished Group A with four points, behind Canada.
• In the Round of 16, China beat Cameroon 1-0 with a goal from Wang Shanshan to propel the team to the quarterfinal round.
• Seventeen of 23 players on the roster have made appearances in the World Cup so far. Ten have played all four matches and six have played all 360 minutes.

USA VS. CHINA SERIES

• The USA has an all-time record of 32-8-13 against China PR dating back to 1986. They have outscored the Steel Roses 93-35.
• China is the country the USWNT has played the second most times in its history. The two sides have met on 53 occasions, two games behind the USA vs. Canada series which tops the list with 55 meetings. The game on Friday will be the 54th meeting between the USA and China.
• The USA hasn’t lost to China since Jan. 26, 2003 when it dropped a match 2-0 in Shenzhen, China. It has accumulated a 20-0-4 record in the following 24 meetings since then.
• The USA and China are meeting in a World Cup for the fourth time. The last time was at the 1999 Women’s World Cup Final in Pasadena, California  which culminated with the USA winning its second World Cup following Brandi Chastain’s penalty kick to give the red, white and blue the 5-4 edge in the shootout.  
• The last meeting between the USA and China was just a few months ago when both teams played at the 2014 Brasilia International Tournament in Brasilia, Brazil, on December 10, 2014, where the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. The teams met in two previous matches in 2014, a 2-0 U.S. win in Colorado and a 3-0 U.S. win in San Diego, California.
• In that game in Brazil, Carli Lloyd scored for the USA off an assist by Megan Rapinoe.
• The USA has only allowed China to score more than two goals once. The game was a 3-3 tie in Gavle, Sweden, during the 1995 Women’s World Cup.
• The USA has scored two or more goals in 29 of their 53 meetings with China.
• All fifteen players that took the field in the USA’s last meeting with China are part of this World Cup roster, while 21 of the 23 made the trip to Brazil.

LAST TIME

On the field for the USA vs. CHN:
Dec. 10, 2014 –Mane Garrincha Stadium; Brasilia, Brazil  

USA   1          Lloyd, 23
CHN    1          Peng, 67

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 11-Ali Krieger, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 25-Meghan Klingenberg (5-Kelley O’Hara, 46); 12-Lauren Holiday (14-Julie Johnston, 59), 10-Carli Lloyd; 15-Megan Rapinoe (20-Abby Wambach, 46);  23-Christen Press, 2-Sydney Leroux, 17-Tobin Heath (9-Heather O’Reilly, 46)
Subs Not Used: 6-Whitney Engen, 7-Morgan Brian, 8-Amy Rodriguez, 13-Alex Morgan, 16-Lori Chalupny, 18-Alyssa Naeher, 19-Crystal Dunn, 22-Samantha Mewis
Head Coach: Jill Ellis 

CHN:  12-Wang Fei; 2-Liu Shanshan, 3-Wang Shanshan, 5-Wu Haiyan (capt.), 8-Li Dongna, 11-Zhao Rong (18-Han Peng, 44), 15-Wang Shuang (17-Gu Yasha, 73), 19-Tan Ruyin, 23-Ren Guixin, 24-Tang Jiali (14-Goa Qi, 71), 25-Zhang Rui (10-Li Ying, 87)
Subs Not Used: 1-Zhang Yue, 4-Lu Jiayue, 6-Lyu Siqi, 9- Lou Jiahue, 16-Lei Jiahue.
Head Coach: Hao Wei