EDMONTON, Alberta — Han Peng was 9 years old when China lost to the United States on penalty kicks in an epic championship match at the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
When she learned of the news the next day, Han, now 25, said: “I felt so disappointed. I thought to myself, if I were given the opportunity in the future, I will beat them.”
Now a starting midfielder, Han will get her long-awaited chance at redemption Friday, when a revived Chinese team faces the Americans in the World Cup quarterfinals in Ottawa.
The Chinese women went into a long slide after the 1999 World Cup, failing to qualify for the 2011 tournament or the 2012 London Olympics.