Bill Belichick could learn from the Chinese

Posted By David Francis Thursday, September 13, 2007 - 1:15 PM Share

TEH ENG KOON/AFP/Getty Images

On Wednesday, the Chinese defeated Denmark 3-2 in the FIFA Women's World Cup, which was played in China. After the game, Danish coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller refused to shake hands with his Chinese counterpart. Heiner-Moller said the slight was due to frustration with what happened on the pitch. However, others have suggested that Heiner-Moller was upset about an incident that happened the day before the match.

On Tuesday, Denmark team officials discovered two men behind a two-way mirror taping a strategy meeting. Team spokeswoman Pia Schou Nielsen said the two men were Chinese, describing the incident as "like a spy movie."

It's not clear whether the men were acting on behalf of the Chinese side. FIFA said it had conducted an investigation and would not pursue the matter further. Whatever the case, it shows the use of videotape to gain a competitive advantage in sports is not a strictly a Patriots' act. The Chinese do get style points for the two-way mirror, though.

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