SHANGHAI - Young and inexperienced Chinese national soccer coach Gao Hongbo is yet to stun the nation's high-profile Olympic team mentor, Miroslav Blazevic, with his off-the-field acumen.

However, the former international striker surprised Blazevic on the pitch when he filled in during a training session in Shanghai on Saturday.

Blazevic, tongue in cheek, said he had found a second Davor Suker, after Gao displayed some delicate footwork in an eight-on-eight game.

Along with three assistant coaches of the Olympic side, Gao took to the pitch because five players from Shanghai Shenhua had left the camp to prepare for their club's AFC Champions League match on Wednesday.

Gao played swiftly and smartly to finish with a goal and an assist, which surprised the players, the spectators and, in particular, Blazevic.

"Gao's arrival so much improved the quality of our training," Blazevic said. "I felt I saw (former star Croatian striker) Suker playing in front of me when Gao was on the pitch. He is as good as Suker, and I'm very thankful he could play with my young players."

That's high praise as Suker won the Golden Boot as the top scorer at the 1998 World Cup in France and was once described as "the man who can play the violin with his left foot".

While Gao may have turned in an eye-catching display on the field, the low-profile coach was quiet off the pitch and refused to answer questions. He said Blazevic should be the focus of the spotlight.

"I am here to practice with the team as a training partner," said Gao, who left the squad's warm-up game against Shanghai Shenhua on Friday before it ended. "I'll only do what Blazevic asks me to do with this team."

After taking charge of the Chinese national side in May 2009, Gao has overseen a steady rise in China's FIFA world ranking; from 100 to 75. However, the 45-year-old learnt some tough lessons at the Asian Cup in Dubai earlier this year as the team bowed out at the group stage.

After making a brief summary of the Asian Cup at a Chinese Football Association conference held in Xianghe on Thursday, Gao went to Shanghai to watch the Olympic squad in training and chat with the famous Croatian coach.

The 74-year-old Blazevic was far more generous with the media.

"We talked for three hours last night and I was very satisfied because I found Gao to be a very promising coach," Blazevic said. "He is a predecessor of our soccer players and I am sure (as coach) he will make the fans happy. What we should do is be patient and give him more time and support."

Gao and Blazevic will stay in Shanghai to watch Shenhua's AFC Champions League opener against Japan's Kashima Antlers.

After ending its camp on Sunday, the Olympic squad will reconvene for final training in March. Qualifiers for the 2012 London Games begin in June.

China Daily

(China Daily 03/02/2011 page22)