China had it all to do against Qatar if they wanted to advance to the final qualification round for the 2018 world cup in Russia. In order to do so the Chinese side had to defeat the Gulf nation and hope other results went their way on the night.
In total the Chinese team enter the match depending on 5 other results from the region but all of that would be irrelevant if they fail to win in Xi'an.
Wu Lei, playing as a lone striker, proves to be a constant threat going forward and the Shanghai SIPG man goes close early on with this long range effort.
In the 26th minute Zhang Xizhe finds Wu with a quick free-kick, but his shot is deflected wide by the Qatari defender. It's 0-0 at half-time with China's chance very much in the balance.
Gao Hongbo's team keep pressing after the break. The visitors, who are playing without several key players, crumble under the pressure and the hosts finally break the deadlock in the 57th minute. Huang Bowen finds space in outside the box before unleashing a powerful shot into the corner of the net. To make it 1 nil and put the home side well on course for victory . Fantastic effort from The Guangzhou Evergrande man to open the scoring .
Two minutes from time, China seal the win. Wu Lei cuts into the area and slots in from close range. China manage to grab the three points against Qatar. Other results go their way on the night also as they enter the final stage to reach Russia.
"On the first day coach Gao took the helm, he told us it could be our last chance to play in major events. Players who were born between 1985 and 1989 could retire from the national side. We only had a one percent chance to advance but we did our best. We'll see how other teams play. I'm extremely happy and don't know how to describe my feelings with words. I hope the national team will be better day by day and more young kids will love playing football," said Huang Bowen, China midfielder.
"As a player in the national team, I really want to play in the world cup, but as we all know, we have little chance to advance. We held together and fought from the first minute of the game to the last. If we keep our competitive edge, we're hopeful of moving on," said Wu Lei, China striker.
"First of all, I want to thank the fans in Xi'an and Wuhan. As a coach, I'm very satisfied with how we were received in both places. I thank the fans. Our victory is the result of the support from our fans. I also want to thank all the coaching staff who have been working with us in the last 19 days. And last, I thank my players. China's national football team could be good. Over 20 or more years of professional football, we have been improving in tactics. They just played like they normally do and I hope they could be better in the future. If we can make it to the last 12, the coaching staff will be formed by experts from China and abroad. It will be decided on a comprehensive estimation," said Gao Hongbo, China interim coach.
Later on in the day, Australia thrashed Jordan 5-1. The Phillipines edged the DPRK 3-2. Iraq downed Vietnam 1-0, while Iran grabbed a 2-0 win against Oman. These were the results that China was hoping for which means the PRC has secured the final berth in the last 12.
China have 11 points that contribute to the standings of the best second placed teams, and they were able to take claim their place under the guidance of Gao. The teams from fifth to eighth have all been eliminated, but China is going on to the third round of Asian zone qualification.
The eight group leaders have automatically qualified for the last 12. China and the three other second placed teams form the rest of the seats. The draw for the third round will be held in Kuala Lumpur on April 12th, and the matches will start on September 1st.
