CHONGQING, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- China suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Palestine in a football friendly here on Friday.
Palestine made an aggressive start and took the lead less than 16 minutes into the game when Assad Al Hamlawi fired a powerful shot into the net.
Just six minutes later, Al Hamlawi doubled the lead after calmly rounding the goalkeeper and finishing into an empty net.
China struggled to turn its attacking opportunities into goals, while its defense was repeatedly put under pressure. In the stoppage time of the first half, Palestine capitalized on a counterattack to make it 3-0.
Palestine extended its lead just minutes into the second half, with Oday Dabbagh finding the net.
Despite making several substitutions in an attempt to change the course of the game, China still struggled to create clear chances from open play. The hosts did hit the woodwork twice from set pieces, however, missing opportunities to get on the scoresheet.
Palestine added a fifth goal in stoppage time, sealing a comprehensive 5-0 victory away from home.
After the match, Al Hamlawi, who delivered an impressive performance, said, "first of all, thank you for having us. It was a really good moment for all of us. We are very happy with our performance, both offensively and defensively."
At the post-match press conference, China head coach Shao Jiayi said his players lacked concentration in both attack and defense, while the team's organization and coordination also fell short.
"We had some good opportunities, but we failed to capitalize on them," Shao said.
He added that, as head coach, he should take responsibility for the team's consecutive defeats, and that the team would make adjustments as soon as possible and make full preparations for its next match. ■
