{"id":18641,"date":"2008-03-24T02:05:37","date_gmt":"2008-03-24T09:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2008\/03\/china-banking-on-aussie-football-squad-altitude-sickness\/"},"modified":"2008-03-24T02:05:37","modified_gmt":"2008-03-24T09:05:37","slug":"china-banking-on-aussie-football-squad-altitude-sickness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2008\/03\/china-banking-on-aussie-football-squad-altitude-sickness\/","title":{"rendered":"China Banking On Aussie Football Squad Altitude Sickness"},"content":{"rendered":"
From AFP<\/a>:<\/p>\n Struggling China will be hoping the mountain air of Kunming<\/a> can breathe life into their World Cup campaign when they face Group 1 favourites Australia at high altitude here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Desperate for a home win in the “Group of Death” and with his job on the line, China coach Vladimir Petrovic<\/a> has coralled his players for three weeks of training in this southwestern city 1,900 metres (6,233 feet) above sea-level.<\/p>\n The choice of venue has provoked controversy, with Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek<\/a> lashing out at playing in “a place nobody has heard of,” a charge echoed in Australian media.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n