Do-or-die matches, Chinese football fans have learned from years of bitter experience, unfailingly provoke eruptions of anguish and desolation, not jubilation and euphoria. This time is different. 

Despite valiant efforts from group winners Syria to put China's World Cup dreams on hold, Li Tie's side put in a virtuoso performance to clinch a fully deserved 3-1 win, booking their place in the final round of the Qatar 2022 qualifiers as one of the best runners-up. 

There had been doubts about whether Li, who succeeded Italian World Cup winner Marcello Lippi in January last year, boasted sufficient coaching ability to make this team gel. Yet in fairness to the 44-year-old tactician, the slick brilliance of this China display showcased everything being done on the training ground from Suzhou to Sharjah; from patient buildup play to ruthless finishing; from a never-say-die attitude to a resilient mindset.

If China have spent the past few weeks plotting routes to the next round with a fearlessness bordering on brazenness that seems utterly out of kilter with their history of somewhat conservative football and a highly-strung trait during previous qualifiers, that is Wu Lei's doing. 

The Espanyol striker has been widely considered as the only top-rated player in this China squad, which seems a little harsh on some of the bright sparks Li has brought to the fore, though there can no longer be any questions about Wu's value to the Team Dragon. 

Where Wu truly stands out from the rest is in how big a share of the team's workload he takes on. He scores tempo-setters, wonder strikes and game deciders. He is at the heart of everything that China have done so well to make it four wins on the trot. The penalty he converted on Tuesday night was his seventh goal in the last eight outings of the campaign. 

But the most notable part of Wu's phenomenal showing on the pitch is his completeness. He facilitates play, injects urgency into the game, and generates holes in the defense for his teammates to exploit. He can drop deep as a seasoned playmaker or put up a fight with his back to goal.  

Wu managed to put the disappointment of a dreadful La Liga 2 season during which he was more often than not left fidgeting on the bench and return to the national team determined to prove the doubters wrong.  

For now, he has been amply vindicated, but sterner tests lie ahead. China have already shown the world what they are capable of. And who knows, with Wu in such scintillating form, there may even be more to come.