BUSAN, South Korea, Dec. 14 -- Chinese women's football team head coach Jia Xiuquan conceded that his team is technically inferior to Japan's counterpart following their 3-0 loss to the 2011 World Cup winners in the EAFF E-1 Football Championship on Saturday.
Japan's skipper Mana Iwabuchi scored a hat-trick to lead her side to a convincing win, which, according to Jia, was a result of Chinese players' mistakes.
"My players made several rookie mistakes that led to goals by the Japanese side," he said. "I had repeatedly told them to avoid these mistakes. I think these mistakes show that my players are technically inferior to the Japanese players."
He also hinted that his team lacks players like Iwabuchi who can make a difference when it matters.
"My players tried their best and created some chances, but they could not convert them into goals. This is where Japan is better than us," he said.