TIANJIN // A tremendous roar echoed through the white vaults of the Olympic football stadium when Xu Yuan scored the first goal for the Chinese women's team against Sweden yesterday. A thick mist hanging in the stadium obscured the view of the other side, but the 79 per cent humidity did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the local crowd as the hosts won their first match of the Games. Cheers of "Go China!," clapping and stamping resounded every time the Chinese team got the ball, building to a fever pitch as the game progressed.
Boos for the Swedish team got louder and louder. China won 2-1 to the joyous acclaim of a standing crowd outfitted with flags and noisemakers. "Its very exciting!" said Wang Li, watching with her husband. "I'm very tired but it's great," said Zhang Li, a volunteer with a blue shirt and ponytail. Other hot and grinning young volunteers helped the crowd through security checks at the entrance to the airy stadium, while older security guards in white shirts kept a wary eye on two foreigners waving a large Chinese flag. "I'll cheer for them all the way," said Ramon, a Pakistani medical student in Tianjin, as a group of young Chinese parading flags through the stands said "thank you" in English to him.
An American teenager was the only voice cheering for Sweden. "I figured I'd even things out," she said. But the home audience could also be a tough one. A groan of disappointment greeted the Chinese goalkeeper when she failed to stop the Swedish goal. China share the lead of Group E with Canada, who surprisingly beat Argentina 2-1. Coming out of her centre-back position, Candace Chapman put Canada ahead in the 27th minute.
She ran onto a corner that was deflected more than 30 metres from goal and struck a right-footed volley that skipped inside the left post. Kara Lang added the second in the 72nd, heading in Rhian Wilkinson's free-kick. Kim Kyong Hwa scored a first-half goal as North Korea beat Nigeria 1-0 to jump to the lead of Group F. Germany and Brazil played out a goalless draw in the other group game. Germany's Sandra Smisek hit the crossbar with a header in the 23rd minute, while Renata Costa hit the post with a header for Brazil in the 63rd
Two early goals gave Norway a surprise 2-0 win over the USA in Group G, with Leni Laursen Kaurin and Melissa Wiik on the scoresheet. Midfielders Aya Miyama and Homare Sawa scored second-half goals to rally Japan to a 2-2 draw with New Zealand having been two goals down. * Agencies
