For better or for worse, China’s national soccer team has not yet secured a reputation as an international powerhouse on the pitch (though not for lack of trying). But one thing you can’t fault the country’s soccer culture for is a lack of unwavering fan loyalty.
That’s exactly what was on display last week as China played host to the Asian Football Confederation’s Under-23 Championships in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. Fans staged an incredibly effective boycott of the remaining games after a perceived lack of impartiality on the part of referees resulted in a bitter defeat for the Chinese side at the hands of Qatar, dashing hopes of a showing in the tournament’s quarter-finals.
It all started out okay. The hopeful squad, no doubt carrying the weighty dreams and expectations of China's soccer fans on their lithe and shapely shoulders, sailed into an early win during the group stages, handsomely defeating Oman in a 3-0 victory.
Momentum faltered after a hard-fought loss to Uzbekistan that saw the Chinese side scoreless. But hopes were finally dashed when a fiercely contested game against Qatari foes ended in defeat and elimination for China, after an avalanche of penalties was poured forth by a (surely duplicitous) Iranian ref.
No fewer than seven yellow cards were awarded to Team China, while the Qatari side received a meager one. The heavy-handed foul-policing culminated in captain He Chao being sent off the pitch altogether, leaving China a man short when they ultimately lost the match 2-1.
Fans reacted strongly to the perceived iniquity, promptly organizing on online platforms for a boycott of the remaining matches. The South China Morning Post reports that a measly 320 fans appeared in the stands for Tuesday’s game between Japan and North Korea, while Palestine’s face-off with Thailand that same afternoon saw only 120 supporters seated in the 38,000-seat Olympic-sized stadium.
Eastday Sports reports that in many of the later games, stadium staff and security guards outnumbered the small smattering of spectators, mostly fans who had traveled from contestant countries to attend the games.
Contrast this with the 15,600-strong audience that cheered on China in their doomed pre-quarter-final match and it becomes clear that the spontaneously organized boycott was extremely effective, with nary a soul daring to cross the picket line.
Some online agitators called for banners and barricades to be put up in front of the Changzhou stadium to further discourage potential spectators from entering, according to the same report.
[Images via Changzhou Daily, Eastday Sports]
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