20 | Wednesday, March 24, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS

SOCCER SOCCER Legend Sinclair eyes goal­laden goodbye

By MURRAY GREIG [email protected]

Soccer’s all­time leading inter­ national scorer is determined to make what could be her last sea­ son of competition a memorable one. Team Canada captain Christine Sinclair, who missed last month’s SheBelieves Cup in Florida due to injury, says she’s good to go again and ready to lead her squad in its next two pre­Olympic matches — away friendlies on April 9 against Wales and April 13 against England. “It was a little injury that just happened to be bad timing for the SheBelieves (Cup), which was unfortunate,” Sinclair said on a Christine Sinclair Portland Thorns media confer­ ence call on Friday. “But I’m back ing about winning a World Cup healthy, 100 percent, and ready to now?” Arena said. “We didn’t qual­ get some games under my belt and ify (in 2018) and now we’re going get this season going.” to win the World Cup? The Thorns are scheduled to “I do think the way the sport has open the second edition of the grown in our country, the young US­based National Women’s players we have that when we play Team China head coach Li Tie keeps a watchful eye on his players during a training session in Shanghai on Sunday. XINHUA Soccer League Challenge Cup on at home in 2026 — and hopefully April 9. we have a good draw — that the US The 37­year­old midfielder/for­ will have a very competitive team ward, who has scored 186 goals in in 2026. But the goal in the short 296 international appearances, term should just be to qualify for Growing injury list leaves Li’s praised Canada’s efforts at the the next World Cup.” SheBelieves Cup — including a 1­0 Arena also said current head loss to No 1­ranked USA — calling coach Gregg Berhalter, who is it a “gutsy performance” given the guiding the USMNT program team’s pandemic­fueled inactivity qualifying for the 2022 World Cup during 2020. in Qatar, is the right man for the men with mountain to climb In Bev Priestman’s debut as job. head coach, world No 8 Canada “He is very serious and focused But head coach can’t fault players’ dedication ahead of World Cup mission went 1­0­2 at the four­team tour­ and asks a lot of questions. He nament in the Florida bubble, continues to probe,” Arena said of defeating No 31 Argentina 1­0 and Berhalter. “Gregg is a student of By SHI FUTIAN needs two to three weeks to recover. adjust our mentality.” naturalized stars at the training losing 2­0 to No 7 Brazil. the game. He still doesn’t have [email protected] “But injuries are a part of soccer. The pandemic has ensured that camp. Ai Kesen enjoyed a reasona­ “I’m just excited and can’t wait that much experience, and from We don’t know who will be ready the qualifiers will be the first time bly fruitful start to his Team China to get back in the fold,” Sinclair what I see at a distance, he’s still If Team China’s World Cup quali­ and in full health in May. So we need head coach Li takes charge of an offi­ career, finding the net three times, said. “This is a big year for us. The influenced by a lot of stuff he got in fication task wasn’t daunting to let all of our players be ready.” cial match since he was handed the albeit against weak opposition, in SheBelieves tournament was a coaching school. But he’s going to enough, injuries to key players are With four games left to play in reins in early 2020. qualifiers in 2019. Fans are expect­ good start for the team. It would work his tail off. He has a really making head coach Li Tie’s job even Asian zone Group A qualifying, Chi­ The former Everton and Team ing big things from his Guangzhou have been nice to get a couple high opinion on the value of sports more difficult. na is eight points adrift of leader China player will need to prove him­ FC teammate, Alan, who has con­ more results, but we’re just start­ performance metrics, analytics, On Sunday, a 28­man squad kick­ Syria and only leads third­place self with victories in Suzhou if he sistently shone as a potent attacking ing to prepare for the Tokyo all of that. So I think that’s the ed off a two­week training camp in Philippines on goal difference. Chi­ hopes to extend his stay in the job, threat in the CSL. Olympics.” direction he goes as a coach now.” Shanghai. However, absent from the na will face the Maldives and Guam having only been appointed on a Coach Li, however, insists his Sinclair’s international goal tal­ group were two naturalized players, in May before confronting stronger short­term contract. players’ collective will to win counts ly is 77 ahead of all­time leading FREEKICKS: With both the England­born defender Jiang rivals the Philippines and Syria. Li’s predecessor, Italian World for more than individual ability. men’s scorer Ali Daei of Iran, who start of preseason and opening Guangtai (aka Tyias Browning) and The eight group winners and four Cup winner Marcello Lippi, “For over a year, I’ve felt that all notched 109 goals in 149 appear­ day (April 17) delayed, Major Brazil­born attacker Fernando, best second­place finishers will resigned after Team China’s 2­1 the national team players are cher­ ances from 1993­2006. League Soccer’s primary transfer along with midfielder Hao Junmin, enter the next phase of qualifying. qualifying defeat to Syria in Dubai ishing their chance to play for Team Meanwhile, Bruce Arena, coach window dates have been extended adding to an injury list that already Team China will at least enjoy back in 2019. China. They’ve really tried so hard,” of Major League Soccer’s New through June 1, almost a month included experienced defender home advantage after the Chinese Li views the Shanghai training he said. England Revolution, said on Fri­ longer than originally planned. Zhang Linpeng and the versatile Li Football Association announced camp as vital in getting his players “For example, Alan’s kid was sick day it’s “stupid” to start thinking The secondary transfer window Ke (aka Nico Yennaris). earlier this month that all Group A up to speed. before he came to the training about the American men as a remains the same, opening on “It’s a pity that many of our play­ matches will be staged in Suzhou, “We will have two weeks of train­ camp. He was anxious and worried, potential champion in either of July 7 and closing on Aug 5. ers are struggling with injuries now, Jiangsu province, from May 31 to ing this time and we have arranged and his family wanted him to return the next two World Cup cycles, the The transfer windows are the including naturalized player Jiang June 15. two warm­up matches against the to Brazil for the kid’s sake. That was second of which will come with periods in which MLS teams can Guangtai. And defender Zhang Lin­ “Thanks to China’s great efforts in Chinese Super League squads of a serious situation, and luckily now the US as one of the host nations, officially register new players who peng still needs a long time to recov­ controlling the pandemic, we are Henan Songshan Longmen (for­ his kid is a lot better. along with Canada and Mexico. were previously under contract er from his (ankle) surgery,” the 43­ able to invite four other national merly known as Henan Jianye) and “In the end, Alan still took the first Arena did two stints as head with clubs based outside MLS and year­old Li told media on Sunday. teams to compete in our nation. It’s Shandong Taishan (formerly Shand­ available flight to Shanghai. He told coach of the USMNT, from 1998­ for which an international trans­ “And Li Ke (aka Nico Yennaris), safe to play here and it’s a good ong Luneng),” said coach Li. me he wanted to have a good per­ 2006 and again in 2016­17. fer certificate (ITC) is required. after he returned to China, is also choice,” CFA president Chen Xuyu­ “We want to let the players feel formance in the national squad. I Asked by podcast host Andrew While deals may be agreed upon recovering from injuries. That's why an told CCTV on Friday. the same pace as the coming qualifi­ could see the tears in his eyes and I Wiebe what the reasonable expec­ outside these windows, the trans­ we didn’t involve him in the training “The World Cup qualifiers are a ers, and the players need to learn to know he’s still worried about his tations for American success fer and receipt of an ITC are camp. Fernando was injured during test for the CFA. I believe our nation­ cooperate with each other through family. All we can do is to communi­ should be, Arena replied that any­ required in order to officially add a a warm­up match before, and we are al squad has the ability to play well the warm­up matches.” cate with certain departments and one talking about victory by 2026 player to a roster, thus allowing still waiting for his medical report. in the coming qualifiers, as long as Brazil­born strikers Ai Kesen, aka hope to take his family from Brazil would probably be wise to shut up. him to be eligible for official Provisionally, we’ve been told that he we make good preparations and Elkeson, and Alan are the only two to China to accompany him.” “That’s stupid talk. You’re talk­ competitions.