China keeps World Cup dream alive

Wu proves key

China's naturalized players have been recruited to raise the quality of the squad, however the foreign-born contingent were on this occasion upstaged by homegrown stars-most notably Wu.

Wu netted eight times in the eight-game Group A campaign. Five of those goals, as well as two assists, came in the team's recent four-match win streak as Wu proved pivotal both as a link man and scorer.

The 29-year-old had rejoined Team China in May, with many question marks hanging over his ability following a tough last year in Spain when he was mostly consigned to the bench with Espanyol in the second division.

The former Shanghai Port forward also faced struggles off the pitch in Spain when he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020.

Pandemic-related travel restrictions meant Wu missed all Team China's training camps in 2020, adding to concerns that he could struggle to gel with Li's squad when he finally did return.

Tuesday's performance, however, emphatically proved the doubters wrong.

"All the players in the national team are the best Chinese players. No matter who we play against, no matter if we have home advantage or not, and no matter how tough the situation is, we need to finish the match the best way we can. We are a team, not a collection of individuals," Wu said after the victory over the Philippines.

Head coach Li reckons Wu's time in Europe has made him a better player.

"Wu's progress and growth since moving to Spain is very obvious. Yet still he finds himself under attack from some fans and media. Will they be happy if Wu quits and returns to the Chinese Super League?" Li said on Tuesday.

"We need to encourage players like Wu. It's very tough for them to forge a career in a foreign country… If we have 20 players who play in the major European leagues, what's there left for us to worry about?"