China edged European powerhouse Sweden 2-1 in their opening match of the Olympic women's soccer tournament in Tianjin on Wednesday evening.

The Chinese Steel Roses opened the scoring in the 6th minute when striker Xu Yuan steered the ball into the empty net. Sweden equalized in the 38th minute. However, striker Han Duan scored in the 71st minute to seal the victory for China. The 25-year-old says the goal-scoring will help boost their performance in the following matches.

"First of all, the scoring of the goal is a collective effort. My teammates created this opportunity and I am very thankful. This will boost our team's confidence in fighting ever harder matches. We'll try our best for a even better performance."

China will take on Canada in its second match of Group E on Saturday while Sweden will face underdog Argentina.

The women's soccer tournament kicked off on Wednesday in three co-host cities. It was the first Olympic event starting two days before the official opening of the 2008 Games.

A total of 12 teams attend the Olympic women's soccer tournament. They have been divided into three groups. The top two finishers of each group and the best two third finishers will advance to the quarterfinals.