China smash 32-year-old South Korean hoodoo

Chinese soccer may be in disarray off the pitch, but there was something to smile about on it last night as Gao Hongbo's side broke a 32-year hoodoo with a 3-0 win over South Korea at the East Asian Championship.

First half goals from Yu Hai and Gao Lin set them on their way to a famous result over a nation China had never beaten before and who are destined in June to appear at their seventh straight World Cup finals.

On a night of near-hysteria for the small band of Chinese fans who braved the cold and drizzling rain, Deng Zhuoxiang put the result beyond doubt with a fine individual effort with 30 minutes remaining.

While China may not possess a pedigree to compare with that of their more illustrious counterparts - the national team made their one and only appearance at the World Cup back in 2002 - this was a result to at least suggest brighter times may lie ahead.

Gao's reign has seen confidence returning to the national team and Saturday's 0-0 draw with Japan in the opening match of the regional championships saw China roundly praised for stifling another World Cup finalist.

However, the victory over the Koreans - both due to the historic significance and the manner in which it was achieved - was an altogether different affair and Gao was delighted to see his team overcome a nation that had long held a hex over the Chinese. 'We were able to win in this match and as the head coach I'm very pleased,' said Gao. 'This is a victory that we have been preparing for and it now proves that what we were doing in our training was the right thing to do.