Anyone who's spent a bit of time in China knows not to bring up the topic of Chinese football with a taxi driver – either it's a conversation killing "bie ti le" or you'll receive a 15 minute ear-bashing about what the problem is with the national team/Chinese football and the driver's take on what needs to be done to fix it. Recriminations are already starting to circulate in the wake of the Chinese national football team's loss to Iraq on Saturday night in Tianjin. The loss means that the Chinese team no longer has any hope of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. China's rapacious sports media, second only to the merciless gouzai dui of the entertainment journalists, have smelt blood, and along with various sports bloggers and angry fans, have begun searching for the culprits responsible for this blow to national pride.

Things started off well enough, with China taking a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute with a goal from Zhou Haibing, but, the home team's weak defense allowed Iraq to equalize with a great header from Emad Mohammed in the 40th minute. Despite continued pressure from China, Nashat Akram's fine goal in the 68th minute sealed the game for Iraq. The victors will now battle it out with Australia and Qatar for the top two spots in the group. You can take a look a video of the highlights of the game here.

In other sporting news:

People who were awarded tickets in the first and second phases of Olympic ticketing have been receiving e-mails and phone calls this past week to let them know that their Olympic tickets will be available to be picked up later in the month.

Links and Sources
Reuters: China's World Cup bid ends in recriminations and tears
ESPN: Iraq 2-1 China: Iraq keep WC hopes alive
ESPN Star: 拒绝评价杜伊排兵布阵 郑智：我很伤心！(image)
Sports Illustrated: Asian roundup: Iraq eliminates China from World Cup qualifying
Tudou: Highlights of the match on CCTV 9
NetEase: Give Up
NetEase: The Last time I’ll Cheer for the Chinese Football Team
The Beijinger Forum: Why does the Chinese national football team suck so much?