The Chinese women's soccer team failed to make another World Cup glory, but they never fail their supporters, as fans sent compliments to their beloved team through websites after they bounced off the World Cup.

Most fans sang of the Chinese team, widely known as the "Steel Roses", while others gave their advice to the reconstruction of the team.

"I love you forever! You are our pride!" one poster said. Another said: "Women's soccer is my spirit! You are the best in my heart forever no matter you lose or win!"

More than 16,000 pages of comments swamped Sohu.com, one of China's most popular websites, since China was upset by Canada 1-0in the quarter-final Friday night. There were over 5,000 on another popular website sina.com.

The Chinese women's soccer team won the hearts of soccer fans in 1999 when they lost to the World Cup final to the United States on penalty shootout. Fans dub the women's team as the spirit of Chinese soccer, though the men's soccer is more popular in China.

"China could have won the World Cup if the women's soccer had got as much money as the men's soccer does," a fan lamented on sina.com.

Fans blamed the aging of the team and lack of new stars for China's World Cup loss.

An anonymous fan said: "The Canadian team were not good enough to beat China, unfortunately the Chinese team failed to play in their own rhythm. The Chinese coaches should take responsibility for the loss and key players were too old to play at the World Cup level."

Fans were disappointed with the loss but did not lose confidence in the Chinese team.

"Don't cry, we are proud of you," a fan from Sichuan Province said. "We are a new generation born in the late 80s and early 90s. We'll inherit your spirit and win back the glory in the 2008 Olympic Games."
 

(Xinhua News Agency October 4, 2003)