China coach Shui Qingxia has urged his players to step up their game and rise to the occasion with the Asian champions set to start their Women's World Cup campaign against Denmark on Saturday. 

"The opening match is really make or break, and it's tough to predict just how much of a shot we have at winning," said Shui, whose side have been drawn in Group D with European giants England as well as Denmark and Haiti. 

"If we analyze based solely on our past performance, we lost 4-1 to Sweden in a friendly back in February, and they were definitely on top of us. However, Denmark managed to beat Sweden 1-0 in another friendly where they were the ones in control. Honestly speaking, the overall strength of Denmark outweighs ours by quite a bit."

"Moreover, England are the reigning European champions with a formidable strength. Denmark have made significant progress in recent years and haven't lost a single game in the World Cup qualifiers, which is impressive.  

"As for Haiti, we don't have much intel on them, but from what we do know, they have several players who play in the French league, with a few of them even ranking high on the top scorers list. 

"Nevertheless, we cannot just throw in the towel or let our standards slip just because our opponents have more of an advantage over us. Even though the challenge may seem formidable, we shouldn't grumble, but instead push ourselves forward.  

"If we're only in it for the participation, then why bother training so hard? Football is a game full of uncertainties, and our team have our own unique set of strengths. We should approach our preparation with a positive attitude, narrowing the gap between us and our opponents, and strive to perform to the best of our abilities." 

Shui became the first female head coach of China when she took over a young squad in late 2021 and shocked everyone last year by winning their first major title in 16 years after defeating South Korea in the Asian Cup final. 

"Back when I led the team in the Asian Cup, people didn't have high expectations of me as a coach. They were more curious to see what level I was at," observed Shui. 

"Now that we've made it to the World Cup, there will be even greater scrutiny and expectations from the public, which will undoubtedly place more demands on us. 

"Me and my teammates can be friends, even sisters off the pitch, but they all know that when it comes to training, I show no mercy. Whether they're new to the team or old-timers, I treat them all with the same level of strictness.  

"What makes me proud is that during the pre-World Cup preparation, all my players were able to give their all, following my instructions with complete dedication. As long as their attitude is right, and they're putting in all their effort, they deserve more encouragement and applause." 

Shui made it a point to stress that she wants her players to avoid carrying an excessive amount of pressure since the head coach is the primary person accountable for the team's performance. 

"Winning is important, and as a coach, I want to win more than anyone else," said Shui. "I do feel the pressure, and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, but that's the kind of pressure that comes with being the head coach.  

"We hope to play well, but if there are any difficulties or problems, I should be the one to take responsibility. All the weight is on the head coach's shoulders. 

"Playing against top European teams will help us understand where our strengths and weaknesses lie. We can then reinforce our strengths and work on our weaknesses. We need to know which direction to take in the future and stick to it. And that's the key to success."