The prospects of the national women's soccer team at September's World Cup finals in China are now looking catastrophic as preparations slide into chaos, something made humiliatingly clear after a 4-1 defeat to Iceland last night.

Four straight losses at the ongoing Algarve Cup in Portugal have highlighted the stiff challenges facing the former world-beaters, while uncertainty over who is leading and picking the team resulted in directionless, disastrous play.

"I do not know what kind of measures the China Football Association (CFA) will take after the tournament. I also have no idea how they will select the players and organize training," said Wang Haiming, caretaker coach in place of head coach Ma Liangxing, who took sick leave on January 18 citing heart trouble.

Wang Haiming

Eyebrows were raised over the manner and timing of Ma's departure, with many choosing to see it as a protest by Ma against interference from CFA officials.

"It is improper for a national head coach to leave his post shortly before an important tournament," a key official with the CFA was quoted as saying in China Sports Daily last week.

"If this happened during the World Cup or Olympics, how could the team hope to qualify?," he added.

Further complicating the affair, German coach Eckhard Krautzun also quit the team last week citing health problems, just months after taking his post.

"I hope to come back to China one day, but right now I must take care of my health," said the well-traveled coach before his departure, without specifying the nature of his illness.

Krautzun joined the team in January as a consultant. He had never coached women's soccer, but had managed half a dozen Bundesliga teams and five national sides - Canada, South Korea, Tunisia, Kenya and the Philippines. His China experience had also seen Krautzun oversee men's youth teams.

At the center of the dispute is the issue of player selection, and the role of team manager Li Feiyu.

Experienced players were dropped and replaced with youngsters, and two warm-up defeats in a row before the Algarve Cup hardly spread confidence.

According to reports, Li rowed with coach Ma, and used his influence to drop experienced center-back Yuan Fan.

Oriental Sports Daily reported that Yuan had been a key part in Ma's team, but that Li dismissed her for alleged claims of slacking off during training. 

The report described Yuan as a scapegoat in the clash between Ma and Li, and quoted Ma as saying that "sometimes, the coaching team has no right to make decisions."

Caretaker coach Wang was invited to attend the nationwide team selection in February, but he also claimed that he had little power to make decisions.

"If I am named head coach, I hope the CFA will give me the right to choose the national team players," he was quoted as saying on Sina.com.

"If we play the World Cup with the current players, it will be dangerous. "Many players are young, most of them with only two or three international caps, they must endure some setbacks before growing up. I hope they can take something positive from defeat."

Wang could also not explain why the CFA had not yet named a head coach.

"I do not know why. I think the announcement is behind schedule. Whoever gets the nod, it is very important to name someone as soon as possible. The team will suffer even bigger defeats if no head coach is in position."

A list of potential replacements has included former French national coach Elisabeth Loisel and Tina Theune-Meyer, who led Germany to victory at the 2003 World Cup, according to reports.

However, Theune-Meyer has turned down the job since financial rewards would involve matching the association's ambition of seeing team reach the World Cup semifinals, the reports said.

A frustrated Wang addressed the issue, decrying the fact that even a high-profile foreign coach would find it difficult to turn the team's fortunes round.

"The women's team has lagged far behind the world's top teams. Whoever takes the post, I do not think it will make any difference."

China was defeated by the United States and Sweden in the first two matches at the friendly tournament in Portugal, results that were disappointing but not embarrassing given the strength of the opposition.

However, a 2-0 defeat to Finland on Tuesday stunned Chinese media who launched a barrage of criticism at the team, known as the "steel roses" for their exploits in previous World Cups

"This must be a new low," said Titan Sports. "Losing 2-0 to northern Europe's weakest team is just unheard of."

The media ridiculed the CFA for saying the team should be able to win the World Cup.

"With six months to go before the World Cup, what are they thinking setting their sights on a gold medal and demanding a semifinal place as a minimum," asked the paper.

Former international player and World Cup runner-up Liu Ailing further said it would take a long time for the women's team to get back on track.

"I think the team will be dealt another blow if they disappoint at the World Cup. Avoid putting pressure on them and allow them more time to improve," she told Beijing Morning Post.

China have plummeted to ninth place in women's football rankings in the years since lost the 1999 World Cup Final to the US by just one goal.

"The CFA officials should take full responsibility. The decline in women's football is not bad luck - it's a result of human error," said an incendiary report in the China Youth Daily. "Officials always want to gamble by naming head coaches without experience."

(China Daily March 15, 2007)