China's big debut spoiled by the guile of Gomez
China 0 Costa Rica
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Your support makes all the difference.The beaming smile on Bora Milutinovic's face here yesterday indicated that China's coach was as happy in defeat as he might have been in victory. The much-travelled Serb obviously considered that there are far worse things in life than losing to a protégé.
Milutinovic, setting a record by leading a fifth different nation in World Cup finals, was Costa Rica's coach when, with the help of Alexandre Guimarães, they embarrassed Scotland and Sweden at Italia 90.
Respect was evidently mutual but for the first half neither man could have admired much of what was going on due to the lack of creativity. On this form Brazil, the group favourites, need have no worries about reaching the second stage, whatever their own limitations.
Not until Mauricio Solis sped onto a pass from Harold Wallace after 20 minutes to have China's 6ft 7in goalkeeper Jiang Jin saving with his legs, was there a chance. The prospect of two Manchester City players coming into direct opposition in this corner of Asia was denied us when Sun Jihai hobbled off after 25 minutes, the victim of a callous tackle from Solis that earned Costa Rica their second booking within a minute.
Paulo Wanchope, Sun Jihai's City team-mate, added to the malaise by heading wide before letting a simple ball run out of play. There were more groans from the Costa Rican contingent when Ronald Gomez tricked his way past two defenders only to fluff his cross.
Yet Gomez was the man of the second half. On the hour he curled home a left-foot shot after the ball had run loose. Suitably elated, Gomez produced a cross four minutes later that Li Weifeng almost sliced into his own goal. From Solis's ensuing corner Gomez crossed for Mauricio Wright to head Costa Rica's second goal. China, appearing in the World Cup finals for the first time, would have lost more heavily but for Li Tie's last-minute goal-line clearance.
China 0 Costa Rica 2
Gomez 60, Wright 65
MATCH DETAILS
CHINA (4-4-2): Jiang Jin (Tianjin); Xu Yunlong (Beijing), Fan Zhiyi (Dundee), Li Weifeng (Shenzhen Ping'an), Chengying Wu (Shanghai Shenhua); Sun Jihai (Manchester City), Li Xiaopeng (Shandong Luneng), Li Tie (Liaoning Bodao), Ma Mingyu (Sichuan Dabe); Yang Chen (Eintracht Frankfurt), Hao Haidong (Dalian Shide). Substitutes: Zhao Junzhe (Beijing Guoan) for Sun Jihai, 25, Su Maozhen (Shandong) for Yang Chen 65, Yu Genwei (Tianjin Teda) for Fan Zhiyi, 73.
COSTA RICA (4-4-2): Lonnis (Saprissa); Marin (Alajuelense), Wright (Heredia), Martinez (Saprissa), Castro (Alajuelense); Wallace (Alajuelense), Solis (Alajuelense), Centeno (Saprissa), Gomez (OFI Crete); Fonseca (Alajuelense), Wanchope (Manchester City). Substitutes: Medford (Saprissa) for Fonseca, 56, Bryce (Alajuelense) for Wallace, 69, Lopez (Alajuelense) for Wanchope, 79.
Referee: K Vassaras (Greece).
Bookings: China: Li Tie, Xu Junlong. Costa Rica: Marin, Solis, Gomez, Centeno.
Attendance: 27,217.
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