FIFA Women's World Cup hosts China, who were humiliated by Brazil 4-0 in Group D second round, are re-accumulating strength and vow to crush underdogs New Zealand on Wednesday for surviving the group.
  
In the trickiest group, Athens Olympic runners-up Brazil are topping the rank with two wins and a plus-nine goal difference. The title favorites are 99 percent into the quarterfinals and only a heavy loss (not likely) to Denmark may change their fate.
  

The Chinese women's soccer team training in Tianjin on Tuesday. The team are re-accumulating strength and vow to crush underdogs New Zealand on Wednesday, to proceed to the next round.

China and Denmark, who lost 3-2 to the hosts but beat the Kiwis 2-0 later, are contesting the second qualifying berth. So far, the European giant is ranked second with advantage in four goal difference.
  
Worsely, typhoon Wipha, which is hitting the two competition zones in Shanghai and Hangzhou forced the world soccer governing body to postpone the Denmark-Brazil game in Hangzhou from Wednesday to Thursday. The lucky Danes can watch the China-New Zealand duel on Wednesday and then decide what to do on Thursday.
  
If China can not earn a five-goal winning margin, the Danes only need a 1-0 win over Brazil to qualify.
  
New Zealand, who were whitewashed by Brazil 5-0, are almost packing and their hope for survival is only in theory.
  
According to the latest FIFA women's ranking in June, Denmark stood at sixth, Brazil at eighth, China 11th and New Zealand 23rd.
  
As all the previous World Cup hosts qualified for the quarterfinals, China, who set a target of entering the top four on home soil, will definitely play all out to defend the record by hammering the hopeless Kiwis in their last group match.
  
In the inaugural 1991 World Cup in China, the hosts rout the Kiwis 4-1 in group stage. China also won all six previous encounters with New Zealand.
  
Both teams do not have any players missing through injury or suspension.
  
However, the current Chinese team is not as strong as any of its predecessors.
  

Domanski-Lyfors, head coach of the Chinese women's soccer team, meets the press at their training site in Tianjin. The team are re-accumulating strength and vow to crush underdogs New Zealand on Wednesday, to proceed to the next round.

Two eye-catching strikers Han Duan and Ma Xiaoxu did not score a single goal in the two previous matches at the World Cup. Han, dubbed as "secret weapon" for China, even failed to create any scoring chances and squandered several crucial ones.
  
Ma, China's new No. 10, shone last year with Golden Ball and Golden Shoe at FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and the AFC Women's Player of the Year award. But this year, she did not score for China so far.
  
In the China-Denmark duel at the World Cup, Ma was named the Player of the Match through her quick-pace dribbling and never-say-die spirit on the pitch. But all her techniques could not be seen in the China-Brazil game.
  
Refusing to comment on the Chinese duo up front, China coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors said Tuesday that the most important thing would be a win, no matter who would score.
  
Domanski-Lyfors, a Swede, led Sweden to the runners-up in 2003 World Cup in the United States and took over the Chinese team in March this year.
  
At the training site, she told reporters that she had full confidence in beating the Kiwis and qualifying for the next stage.
  
"We won't think too much about the Denmark-Brazil game. We will concentrate on our own and show our best form in the crucial game tomorrow," she noted.
  
"There's no shame in losing to a world-class team such as Brazil. Although we've suffered a setback, we still have a chance. We have to increase our goal difference against New Zealand," she added.
  
The Swede also refused to answer any questions about her formation, starting lineup and possible changes in several positions.
  
It was the second time for New Zealand to appear in the World Cup finals. In their first World Cup journey in 1991, they lost 3-0 to Denmark, 4-0 to Norway, 4-1 to hosts China.
  
The Kiwis failed to break the jinx so far at the 2007 World Cup also in China. In the previous two group matches, they even created few chances for scoring.
  
New Zealand coach John Herdman said, "At least theoretically, we can still qualify. If Brazil beat Denmark and we beat China by enough goals, we may progress to the quarter-finals together with Brazil."
  
"We'll be doing our homework on the China team and you can be certain that we'll make life extremely difficult for them. This next game promises to be extremely tough," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2007)