Women's Football World Cup - a chance for Chinese Women's Football team for the Olympics

With high expectations & not so notable talents in the Chinese Women's Football team is looking to upset some of the world's best in the Women's Football World Cup this week in Wuhan stadium. Most former Chinese National Football team members are not giving their former team a chance at this year's Football World Cup, a preliminary for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. China has done a lot of changes to beef up it's chances. The Chinese women's football team has hired a foreign coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors who led them to some improvement on the previous matches. They have also been scouting other teams like the not-so-friendly neighbor's team, the North Korean Women's Football team, a highly touted group to win this year's World Cup of Soccer for Women.

The Chinese open play Wednesday against Denmark in Wuhan, a central Chinese city of 8 million that sprawls along the Yangtze River. Brazil plays New Zealand in the early game of a Group D doubleheader. Hopefully the hometown advantage will increase their chances at this year's Women's World Cup Championship.

Here the Chinese Women's team roster: ZHANG Yanru, WENG Xinzhi, LI Jie, WANG Kun, SONG Xiaoli, XIE Caixia, BI Yan, PAN Lina, HAN Duan, MA Xiaoxu, PU Wei, QU Feifei, LI Dongna, ZHANG Ouying, ZHOU Gaoping, LIU Yali, LIU Sa, HAN Wenxia, ZHANG Ying, ZHANG Tong, XU Meishuang, Coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors.

Here's some more related news:

usa today News - Host China enters World Cup amid criticism, heavy expectations For China, the women's World Cup is another opportunity to boost its sports stature before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That could be a tough task. Once one of the world's best teams, China has slid to a No. 11 ranking, and former players have predicted the team won't go far. "China is no longer a top-class team. Physically, they are not as strong as Germany, and skillfully, they are no match for Brazil," former goalkeeper Gao Hong told the official Xinhua News Agency. "They are becoming a team with no characteristics."

Women's World Cup opens in China American coach Greg Ryan has been scouting North Korea's powerful -- and reclusive -- women's soccer team for four years. He's flown around the world to watch games, breaking down several years of videos for telling details. And he's sent assistants Billy McNicol and Phil Wheddon on reconnaissance missions, too.

Hosts told to enjoy challenge China PR coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors faced the media on Saturday for the first time since the tournament hosts set up camp at their hotel in Wuhan. The Swede underlined her hope that the China team would "go out and enjoy their football" despite the evident pressure on their shoulders. FIFA.com was on hand to record her thoughts, together with those of captain Pu Wei and forward Han Duan.

Germany Beats Argentina 11-0 FIFA News update - An ageing team. One that has seen better days. These were two of the labels pinned to the jerseys of the reigning world champions on the approach roads to the fifth FIFA Women's World Cup. How wildly off-target those descriptions appear now in the light of Germany's huge, record-breaking victory in the Opening Match of China 2007. If this team are feeling their years, ruefully reflecting on the advance of father time, then their performance will give solace to all those no-longer-so-young performers in football, in any sporting field, indeed in life itself. This was a devastating demolition of Argentina's optimism, hopes and defences as Silvia Neid's team scored 11 goals without reply; a warning writ in the boldest type that the holders will not relinquish their crown lightly. After the fireworks in a colourful and vibrant opening ceremony at the Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium this was explosive stuff. By the end of an amazing 90 minutes there was desperate fatigue in the legs of the deflated Argentinians and also in the hands of those occupying the German bench who greeted each billowing of the net with exuberant high fives.

Full Match Schedule & Groupings for the Women's World Cup of Soccer can be found here: Match Schedule for the Women's World Cup of Football