Editorial | Women’s World Cup a difficult learning experience

China’s women footballers headed to this summer’s World Cup with high expectations, hoping to build on their impressive winning of the Asian Cup last year. But those hopes were dashed when the Steel Roses wilted, suffering a demoralising 6-1 loss to England in a game they needed to win to avoid an early exit.

The defeat was a huge disappointment for the fans in Australia and many more back home.

This was supposed to be a fresh start for the team, which had never failed to progress from the group stage. The official target was a quarter-final place.

China opened with a 1-0 loss to Denmark but then showed spirit, snatching victory against unfancied Haiti despite having a player sent off. The team was, however, outthought, outmuscled and ultimately outplayed in the decisive match against England.

There is much work to be done if China is to become one of the world’s top teams again. Now, coach Shui Qingxia and her players must look to the future. They can learn from this difficult experience.

China has big ambitions for the women’s game. Last year, the Chinese Football Association and government ministries announced a new plan to boost the sport, developing more training centres and adding extra teams. The aim is to host the Women’s World Cup in 2031 and, by then, be among the top three teams in the world.