At breakfast there was still a buzz from last night. We were winners, proven on the sports field, and felt proud of the teams' achievement. Today we had MORE shopping, before going our separate ways. The hockey players would return to Lucheng for friendly barbarian-style games with 3 other teams, while the footballers would visit the Birds Nest Olympic stadium and then play their final competition game against Chaoyang.
Before leaving we took a couple of photos of the two successful teams, together with their coaching teams and guides. And we also managed to finally get a great shot of Coach Darby...
Shopping at the famous Silk Market was more of the same as yesterday: shoes, headphones, shirts, scarves, etc, etc, etc. There were many deals to be had, and we were becoming more aggressive with our bartering - I think they were happy the kiwis were only there for a couple of hours...
Our hockey team left the Silk Market for Lucheng and enjoyed an afternoon of friendly bar-bar games with Uplands and two local teams. It was a casual fun affair mixing all the teams together, and a relaxing and fun way to finish the hockey tournament.
For the footballers, the visit to Birds Nest was interesting and eye-opening, and perhaps a little depressing. With the cuboid Watercube (aquatic centre) right next to the circular/ ovoid Birds Nest, you have the classic Chinese heaven-and-earth story of balance. Both stadia are awe-inspiring when you get close to them, with the Birds Nest an absolute mind-blowing and seemingly random mess of steel girders and struts, with the main members a meter or more thick in places.
However, since the closing ceremony the Birds Nest is now almost completely unused! It's a sad end to such a glorious monument to design, engineering and construction!! The stadium seats 100,000 and is very rarely used because there are not many large events during the year. It was a real surprise!
We arrived at Chaoyang Sports Centre where there was a full size stadium, a running track, numerous futsal fields, and tennis and badminton gymnasiums. This area was a mix of commercial and residential; I counted around 20 apartment buildings just from one side of the running track. It was cool and breezy, and pollution levels were high; today was the first time I had seen our guide Ray wear a nose/ mouth face mask.
The Chaoyang Sports School arrived and we were surprised at their young age and small size, but we were soon surprised at the level of aggression they showed in their defensive play. With the ball at their feet they showed skill and good ability, but on defense they played like out-of-control little demons! We played out own game and were soon a goal up through a tap-in from Emma after they failed to clear.
Bex added to her tournament tally with a nicely taken long range goal that cleared their keeper and dropped beneath the cross-bar, and then Kendra got our third goal with a powerful strike from the edge of the box. Half time we were 3-0 up and going along quite well, even though we were feeling a little battered and bruised.
In the second half they managed to get one back, against the run of play as we continued to launch attack after attack against their goal. Through some extremely unfair refereeing and their continued reckless tackling they kept us out until Alyssa scored our forth goal.
Bex had a couple of runaway chances and on the second was taken out with a very ugly attempted tackle. While she was being helped by Nurse Barb, Coach Darby decided enough was enough and we called an end to the game.
It was a disappointing way to finish the tournament for us. The refereeing was abysmal and I was staggered by the needless aggression shown by the opposition- which I can only attribute to their coaching. No other side we played this week played with such an aggressive style; I don't think I've ever seen such needless aggression. It was such a pity as I think we would've been happy playing a more good-natured game, win or lose!
So we're back on the bus and heading back to the hotel - a little subdued, a little shell-shocked.
Tonight is the awards night and cultural evening!
St Oran's were up first for our cultural item (all schools were to perform something) and our two simple and beautiful Maori songs were applauded by all the audience.
Unfortunately the cultural items finished there as all the other schools performed items which couldn't really be classified as cultural... Uplands College girls performed a modified chant; Crawford College boys started well before handing over to one boy to dance (rather well) to an American rap song, and the Chinese schools decided karaoke fitted the bill as cultural for them :(. A little sad really.
The highlight for me tonight was DEFINITELY the St Oran's girls - they rocked!!
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