I suspect they won't have a particular liking to any of them but instead will just be happy to see an Asian nation do well as that would mean that asian football is progressing. I'm not chinese however I'm rooting for Japan (except when they play Australia, and if a win means they knock australia out ). I'd love Aus and Japan to top their groups Not gonna happen though...
Do I sense some dislike of the Japanese? I don't particularly like the Saudi's, for me after Japan it'd be South Korea, I probably won't support Iran (1997 >.<) or Saudi Arabia.
I guess it would have to be Iran because their success would most piss off the Americans. I honestly can't support any of those teams. I have no ties to Iran or Saudi Arabia, don't really consider either of them Asian, and don't like their politics much, so I won't be cheering for either. Korean fans are almost (ALMOST) as bad as the US fans, too many of them have only come to supporting the team in light of the 02 performance and many have minimal soccer knowledge. Plus, I'm embarassed of all the idiot Chinese who Ha Han...As for Japan, does anything need to be said? Greenlion's equation matches mine. I love Arsenal and have for over 20 of my 26 years, but I would be willing to see them fail to qualify for the CL and have Sp*rs qualify if I could be guaranteed Japan would lose all 3 games, and get blown out a la Korea in 98 at least once.
I doubt you'll see a united front among the Chinese fans. That said, The Iranian team is usually viewed positively by the Chinese. So don't be surprised if it enjoys a lot of support from the Chinese fans. The Chinese are traditionally taught to be friendly with the Koreans. So without any firsthand experience with the South Koreans and with the current popularity of South Korean movies in China, most Chinese have positive feelings toward and tend to be supportive of the South Korean team. As for me personally, in 2002 I supported the South Korean team. Japan would've enjoyed a lot of support as well. I remember in 2000 when Japan beat Saudi Arabia by a large score in Asian Cup, there was universal praise of the Japanese team among the Chinese. But I said "would've" because unfortunately things have changed for the worse drastically since then, with the whole Koizumi Yasukuni situation. I persoanlly would still hope for the best for Japan. But I have to say I can't honestly say I'm supportive of Japan any more. As you can see, politics and sports sometimes can't be separated. Most Chinese are neutral towards Saudi Arabia. So unless the Saudis put up a heroic fight, I don't think the Chinese care much one way or another, except for the minimum amount of loyalty one owes to another Asian team. My vote goes to Iran.
I supported both Saudi and S.Korea in 1996, both team performanced well and that generation of Korean was the best in history in my oppinion, in 1998 I was supporting Iran because they were playing against USA , japan impressed me in 2000 AC~ the semi final between China and japan is one of the most exciting games in AC history right? but things changed soon when 2002 was coming we all know the reason~ in 2002, of cause China is my first choice~ then South Korea~ before they eliminated Espaniad which is my real favorite team
I agree. For half of the game both teams looked like they could go toe to toe with the likes of Brazil. The other half Japan still looked world class while China did ok. China had a good squad too, with both Hao Haidong and Fan Ziyi. Edit: incidentally Greenlion, do you have a web link to that game? If not, do you kown if there's a way to buy the DVC or VCD of an old game. There're a couple of games I don't mind watching again, among which this China vs Japan game.
I'll be supporting SK. I just love their work ethnic and their never-say-die mentality. Their fans are nothing but spectacular too. 99% of Chinese will not support Japan for obvious reasons. Iran and Saudi are West Asians so I doubt you'll find a lot of Chinese having affinitiy for them. Though it will be fun to see Iran doing well and pissing the Americans off for sure.
If I may ask, what is the reason that many Chinese won't support the Japanese? I assume it's something to do with recent politics in relation to players or something as I have a Chinese friend (who's not into soccer at all) and she's going to cheer for japan...
I root for all of them. I really do. I guess because I don't carry some of the stereotypes my parents and grandparents do. But I guess Korea is #1, then Japan, Iran and Saudi.
Why must I support are militarism country? that's jokeing but Japan do has a lot of supporters in China includs me before 2000, as Dreamer said~ the situation changed for political reason, there is something wrong in their prime ministers' head what he tries to do since he came into power is to defiance China, with his stupid diplomastim and military politics, and the most seriously situation is quite afew of japanese believes he is right~,that aroses antipathys and vigilant feelings in all of japan's neighbor countries~ China, NK,SK and Russia. Especially in China as japanese still refused to say sorry to us for their invade from 1894 - 1945,and their government still take on those war criminal,who caused WWII, as national heroes, is really reasonable for our people to hate japanese government and abhor the country~ the riot in 2004 AC shows that clearly~ 99.9999% chinese fans won't support Japan~ but their hates is towords Japanese politicians~not the people.
Ahk, I understand that (I think). It's mainly to do with politics... which is a sad thing but I guess that's life.
A lot of the female fans and some male fans like Japan because of the marketibility of the J-League and their fashionable players like Nakata, Inamoto, Nakamura, Toda, Kawaguchi, etc. And most of our knowledgeable fans will admit that Japan is one of the best in Asia. We just don't want to say it out loud.
I'm more than willing to say it out loud, Japan is not one of the best, but probably the best team in Asia. However, I absolutely hate them and would never, ever, ever support them in anything. Further, unlike some others, this has nothing to do with recent history or politics, though those things have done a lot to escalate my hatred for them. My hatred for Japan goes back to 9/18.
Haha, which is exactly why I don't like them, this Ha Han bullshit pisses me off, stupid young Chinese. I like how the Korean team plays and their support is great, but I know a lot of Koreans who knew ******** all about soccer before WC02 and once the team started winning instead of getting their ass kicked, they jumped on the bandwagon, you see a lot of similar people around here making wild claims about what Korea's going to do this time around. I also hate the curse that stands over us when we play Korea. Hehe, I think a major part of it, and I'm willing to admit this, is jealousy. Korean soccer was nothing before WC02, I mean, they made the 2 previous WC's, but they got embarassed in 98. Home field advantage played a huge role in it, but they really turned things around in the lead up to 2002 and beyond, I'd like to see China do the same thing, but it doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.
Wow, your hatred goes back a long way. I'm not as extreme as you. I won't go out of my way to hate Japan, their football team, and stop buying their fancy electronics just because of a group of imperialistic right wingers decided to invade and ransack the rest of Asia more than a half a century ago. In fact if you go to Japan or if you have Japanese friends you'll find out that most of them are benign, friendly, and have little or no interest in politics, especially among the young generations. One thing I do really hate about them though is their racist attitude against foreigners, especially against the rest of Asia. Even in Mainland China, there are Japanese-owned "clubs" and bars with "Japanese only" signs hung at the doors. Some Japanese say they don't want foreigners in because they might not understand the Japanese culture, but that's just an excuse to hide their obvious superiority complex and racism. It's bad enough they have these signs in their own country. But in China? Those sons of the bitches...
What? You don't like them just because of some Ha Han young Chinese? Sorry but I don't see the link between the KNT and Ha Han. Supporting the KNT doesn't make you Ha Han, which is more associated with the culture, not the football.
Being from the northeast, the emotions toward Japan are very intense and not something that is simply influenced by some idiot neo-right wingers going to Yaksune. There are little reminders everywhere and more than a few people old enough to remember and tell the stories. I had a number of relatives die for either fighting in the resistance against Japan following 9/18 or because they were Communists. I don't like Japan, period. However, I don't hold this stuff against the majority of the people, especially the younger ones. I do have some Japanese friends, but those are mostly Japanese Americans, dealing with those from Japan, there is sort of a mistrust. I can say that my family would prefer I marry a white or black girl or some girl from the countryside before I marry a Japanese girl.
That was one sentence in a long paragraph...It also has to do with the fans, our curse, and not a small amount of jealousy. Fortunately, this time around I don't think it matters too much because none of the "real" Asian teams (Japan and Korea) are going anywhere.
Right, I forgot you're from Dongbei. No wonder your hatred is so intense. I know a Dongbeiren and I once told him I know the Japanese language. He wasn't impressed at me at all and said he hates their guts.
Chengb is from Dongbei. So I don't think he is being extreme. The worst in us Southerners' collective memory of firsthand experience with the Japanese aggression is the Fall of Hong Kong and the Fall of Canton, which my grandparents and grandparents of some of my friends still relate to me often, but what the Northeasterners went through during that era was absolutely beyond any human description and even now there are still widespread and often hazardous discoveries in the Northeast of leftover Japanese chemical weapons and the strange way the Japanese government is handling this issue (strange because the Japanese government is usually very sophisticated with PR, yet they seem to want to be deliberately cold-blooded here. This to me is another obvious sign that the Japanese government has been completely controlled now by the right wingers and is in the mode of provoking yet another war) certainly doesn't help. Japanese are quite well mannered and one would expect such with the high GDP per capita Japan has enjoyed for well over 100 years already. But you'd be surprised to find out the younger generation is more susceptible to the right wing brainwashing because of the lack of memory and knowledge of what actually happened then. So be careful there.
The Korean wave of the last 5 years certainly plays a role. But even before that, the Chinese, who have been taught to be friendly with them ever since elementary school would still treat the KNT as the object of their primary affection over other Asian countries.