47-0 boys’ soccer match scores big on the Net

News of a boy's soccer match in Beijing that ended with a brutal 47-0 score immediately kicked off rounds of online debate over fair play and the future of sports development.

Over the 70 minute match on Wednesday, Haidian district boy's soccer team of 12- to 13-year-olds thrashed neighboring Fangshan district, scoring once every two minutes.

After the results were released, a whistle-blower alleged that some Haidian team players had lied about their age, many of which were said to be "a head taller" than the Fangshan players, China Youth Daily reported on Saturday.

Beijing sports authorities said the match was limited to boys born between January 2001 and December 2002.

A probe revealed no falsifications on the Haidian side, authorities claimed. An official with the Beijing Football Association said that the game merely reflects the imbalance in teen soccer programs.

Spectators said that Fangshan players seemed "negative" during the game, which may have contributed to their performance, media reported.

Some parents said that the referee should have called the match early on so as not to discourage the players.

Others did not agree.

"Those kinds of comments from parents will only teach young players to give up," a Net user wrote.