The Chinese Olympic soccer team drew with a tired Energie
Cottbus 1-1 at a warm-up game on Tuesday.
Striker Zhu Ting headed in Wang Xiaolong's pinpoint left wing
cross in the 76th minute.
The Bundesliga side got the equalizer four minutes before the
final whistle when midfielder Ervin Skela smashed a low shot into
the far corner following substitute keeper Zhang Sipeng's
mistake.
It's the third draw in a row for Ratomir Dujkovic's men in the
past six days. Before the game the hosts tied with the American
Olympic squad twice.
Benfica forward Yu Dabao wasted a clear chance in the 17th
minute, when he drove the ball wide of the near post facing an
empty net after defender Tan Wangsong cut back a fine pass from the
right side.
Cottbus had their best opportunity against the post two minutes
from the break. Midfielder Efstathios Aloneftis missed striker Timo
Rost's accurate assist inside the area.
The hosts piled on the pressure in the second half in front of a
tired Cottbus squad after the long trip.
Substitute striker Jiang Ning made a diving header to test
keeper Tomislav Piplica on 54 minutes, before midfielder Lu Lin
curved a fantastic 48-meter-shot, which had already beat an outing
Piplica, but was denied by the crossbar.
Cottbus will play the Chinese national team on Dec. 20 in their
second match of the tour.
Dujkovic will lead the team to have a training camp in France in
early January.
(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2007)