|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
China blasts Guam 19-0
Posted: Wednesday January 26, 2000 06:14 PM
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (AP) -- Qu Shengoing scored five goals -- all in the second half -- and Hao Haidong added four Wednesday as China blitzed Guam 19-0 in Group 9 qualifying for the Asian Cup. Later Wednesday, Ngo Quang Truong scored two second-half goals to break open a close game as Vietnam beat the Philippines 3-0 in the day's second match. The results mean China, with a plus-27 goal difference, needs only a draw when it faces Vietnam Saturday night to win the group and qualify for the Asian Cup finals in Lebanon Oct. 12-29. It was unclear if China's goal explosion was a record. The highest score for a World Cup qualifier was Iran's 17-0 rout of Maldives on June 2, 1997. Calls to the Asian Football Confederation headquarters about the highest score for an Asian Cup match went unanswered. Su Maozhen had three goals, giving him eight in China's two matches. Yao Xia added a pair of scores, while Ma Mingyu, Li Weifing, Li Tie, Shen Si and Qui Hong each had one. China beat the Philippines 8-0 on Sunday, letting up in the second half, but Vietnam took the early goal differential advantage with an 11-0 rout of Guam. This time, the Chinese kept the pressure on. Hao scored in the second minute as China raced to a 6-0 lead at intermission then added 13 goals in the second half. Qu's outburst in the period made him the third player to score five goals in the first three matches of the round-robin competition. The rabidly pro-Vietnam crowd, arriving early for the second match, cheered loudly on the few occasions Guam penetrated midfield. Vietnamese native Lee Blevins withstood the China onslaught in goal for Guam, tied for next-to-last in the most recent FIFA rankings of the world's 202 national teams. The fans finally got something to cheer about when Vu Cong Tuyen got his sixth goal of the competition to give Vietnam a 1-0 halftime lead over the Philippines. Truong then scored in the 71st and 86th minute to clinch the victory.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
