Plenty of players but no grassroots: can China ever grow into a footballing giant?

Some of its amateur matches pull in bigger crowds than European leagues but are more of a spectacle than a pathway to the professional game, say expertsMichael Owen, a man who once quipped he had never drunk tea or coffee, isnt known for his adventurous palate. Safe to assume, then, that the former England striker was out of his comfort zone sipping Roxburgh rose juice and eating chilli-wrapped rice noodle rolls during his recent visit to south-west Chinas Guizhou province.The 2001 Ballon dOr wi...