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By Nick Mulvenney
TIANJIN, China, June 14 (Reuters) - Captain Zheng Zhi was reduced to tears and fans called for wholesale sackings after China's campaign to qualify for the 2010 World Cup fizzled out with a 2-1 defeat to Iraq on Saturday.
After missing out on South Africa, China's next World Cup opportunity in Brazil 2014 will probably be too late for players in their late 20s such as Zheng.
"We didn't play well enough, I am very sad," the Charlton midfielder told CCTV as he wiped away tears of disappointment.
The moribund state of Chinese football was reflected in the half empty Olympic Stadium, which was built to host soccer matches for the Beijing Games this August and the venue for China's final two home games in Asian qualifying Group One.
The 30,000 or so fans who did pay out to watch a second defeat in as many weeks at the impressive arena were quick to turn on those they deemed responsible.
"Sack! Sack! Sack!" they shouted after Iraq took the lead while hundreds gathered outside after the match angrily calling for the team and the entire Chinese Football Association (CFA) to be dismissed as well as an apology from CFA chief Xie Yalong.
Vladimir Petrovic, who has had charge of the team under fellow Serb and China Olympic coach Ratomir Dujkovic since last year, said he thought his players had not shown sufficient composure in the two matches in Tianjin.
"We have young players who needed to calm down a bit," he told reporters. "I think nerves cost us the two games. The players had too much pressure on them."
Petrovic said he thought the group stage of the qualifying campaign, during which China have so far failed to win a match and scored only two goals, had not been a complete failure.
"I think we have discovered many young players who will play in the Olympic Games and are the bright future of Chinese football," he added.
Asked if he would still be in charge for China's final group match in Australia on June 22, Petrovic grinned.
"I think so, I think so," he said.
Another Serbian coach at the match was Bora Milutinovic, who took the Chinese to their only appearance at the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan in 2002 when soccer was booming in China.
"It's always a sad when you don't go through," he told Reuters. "I hope they find a way to get back to the top, 2000 to 2002 were wonderful but things are very different now."
