Xinhua
On February 6, the Chinese women's football team regained the Asian Cup after 16 years, and the "sonorous rose" bloomed again. After returning to China, the Chinese women's football team is currently undergoing medical isolation in Suzhou, and the team's head coach Shui Qingxia accepted an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters by phone to answer topics such as the spirit of "sonorous roses", the journey of the Asian Cup, and the future development of women's football.
Shui Qingxia, head coach of the Chinese women's football team, was interviewed by Xinhua News Agency by telephone. (Source: Chinese Women's Football Team)
"The spirit of 'sonorous roses' is not abandoned"
In the journey of this Asian Cup, the Chinese women's football team has overcome difficulties many times and finally won the championship, which has made countless Chinese people excited. Shui Qingxia said: "The main reason for the Asian Cup to play well is that the spiritual level has achieved the 'sonorous rose' without giving up and not giving up. This has something to do with my personality, and since I represent the national team, I must do it 100%. The ball can be lost, but the man cannot lose, and the spirit of football should be like this. ”
Shui Qingxia introduced that spiritual quality is also an important basis for selecting team members: "First of all, we must have a strong sense of honor and patriotism, which is one of the basic criteria for me to select team members. In terms of personal ability, it is the absolute main force in the women's super team. In the usual training, we also pay attention to instilling a positive fighting spirit in the team members. ”
As the older generation of "sonorous roses", Shui Qingxia admits that the current women's football players are very different from when she was a player herself. "We were a little more simple in our day, and now the players receive more information every day, there are a lot of temptations from the outside world, their minds are more active, they are smarter than we were then. But the same thing is that when the game encounters adversity, the players can still achieve unity of thought and action, and they all want to do things well. ”
"Didn't expect the game to be so hard"
In the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup, the Chinese women's football team reversed the Vietnamese team 3:1 in the case of conceding a goal first; in the semifinals, the Chinese women's football team faced the favorite Japanese team that won the championship, and the Chinese women's football team was absent due to injury in 119 minutes of overtime, and won the penalty shootout; in the final, the Chinese women's football team fell behind 0:2 in the first half, chased three goals in the second half, and killed the South Korean team in injury time.
Chinese player Wang Shuang (front left) breaks through with the ball during a match on January 30. On the same day, in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup held in Mumbai, India, the Chinese team defeated Vietnam 3-1 to advance to the semifinals. Xinhua News Agency
Three consecutive knockout matches have been reversed to win, Shui Qingxia said bluntly: "I really didn't expect the game to be like this (hard), so there is a lot of uncertainty in football. ”
"The response of the players [in the face of the difficult situation] was very good, and my response was quite good." Shui Qingxia smiled.
In the semi-finals and finals, captain Wang Shanshan played as a centre-back and rose to the front when the team was behind, playing a key role in both attack and defense. Shui Qingxia said: "The substitution is the turning point of the game, and these competition arrangements are all planned. ”
"Before Li Jiayue played very well at centre-back, why did Wang Shanshan return to the center-back position? Because our two centre-backs are not very fast relatively fast, it is more difficult to chase back. Wang Shanshan is fast and has a good judgment of the ball. The Japanese team moved quickly, so they chose to let Wang Shanshan play as a defender. There are many attackers in the front, and if necessary, Wang Shanshan can also go up to the top to change the line, which was considered at the time. Before going to India, we let Wang Shanshan make adjustments and adaptations in the center-back position to supplement when necessary. Shui Qingxia explained.
"Wang Shuang was injured to confuse the Japanese team"
Before the match against japan, Wang Shuang, the core of the Chinese women's football team, was injured in training, casting a shadow on the team's prospects. Shui Qingxia recalled that the adjustment time left for the team at that time was very short. "Wang Shuang inadvertently stepped on the feet of his teammates during training and kicked his feet, which is a non-combat attrition. The next day I was going to play, Wang Shuang was sure that he couldn't play, and after training on the bus, I thought I had to face it calmly. On the one hand, the game still has to be played, and after weighing it, Xiao Yuyi is arranged to start. On the other hand, Wang Shuang can't play, and he wants to know how to confuse the Japanese team. ”
On February 3, Chinese player Xiao Yuyi (center) scrambled for a match. On the same day, in the semi-final of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup held in India, the Chinese team drew 2-2 with Japan in the regular time, and finally defeated the Japanese team 4-3 and 6-5 on aggregate through penalty shootout to advance to the final. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Javed Dahl)
"A lot of work was done, including getting her to apply ice. At that time, it was said that Wang Shuang could walk to the venue normally, and this was our victory. This role is not only on the field, but also on and off the field. When preparing for the pre-match event, let her play with her teammates normally. Many people in the Japanese team are looking for Wang Shuang, which may have caused some pressure in their hearts and hoped to disrupt their tactical arrangements. At least in our handling of this matter, I think it is effective. Shui Qingxia said.
In the final, Wang Shuang came to the team with an injury, and Shui Qingxia said that she also deliberated repeatedly: "The day before the game, let Wang Shuang run by herself, she said that there was basically no problem. The coaching staff was also discussing whether to start or substitute her, and later decided to let Wang Shuang go first, and she attracted at least two people on the field to defend, which could create opportunities for other players. In fact, from the perspective of the field, the foot injury had a great impact on her, so she made a decisive substitution adjustment in the second half. ”
"Penalty shootout practiced beforehand"
Shui Qingxia said that the team had practiced penalty shootouts many times before the semi-finals: "Because we have all practiced, according to the situation during training, and then consider the physical condition, we chose the five players who played the penalty. ”
Chinese player Wang Shanshan (right) scored in a penalty shootout on Feb. 3. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Javed Dahl)
"I told the players, just let go of the fight, it's already here. Winning or losing is no longer very important. We are the ones who are behind us, the mentality will be better, the key is to see who has a better mentality. ”
In the penalty shootout, Zhu Yu, the goalkeeper of the Chinese women's football team, saved the penalty twice, becoming the absolute hero of the victory. In this regard, Shui Qingxia said: "I have done a lot of guidance in the previous training, but the game still mainly depends on the reaction of the players themselves. ”
"Ask the players at halftime if they can fight"
Trailing 0:2 in the final, Shui Qingxia recalled: "Internally, I felt that the next 45 minutes of the game would be very hard. From the bench to the lounge, I was thinking about what words to use to motivate them. ”
"I also considered that I had experienced overtime before and the players were tired, of course this is not an excuse. Back in the lounge, I didn't know what to say, so I told them that I had really tried my best, and then asked them to drink more water, and I would talk about it after adjusting. Shui Qingxia said.
"I said that although we were 2-0 behind, we did a good job before conceding the goal, and we didn't think too much about it. There are still 45 minutes left for everyone to get up and get their spirits up. Wang Shuang and Tang Jiali, a few forwards and forward guards, asked them to lose the ball, it doesn't matter, but they must defend back, they must bite their teeth. ”
"And then motivate them, I said 45 minutes, if you want to give up, you can do it, but if you don't want to give up, you have to get up. So many people are watching you play, and you play such a game? Then I asked them: Do you still fight? The players said 'fight'. At that time, I felt that no matter what the result was, the team members must at least play this momentum, at least there must be a change. Shui Qingxia said.
On February 3, Chinese coach Shui Qingxia encouraged the players during the match. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Javed Dahl)
"Zhang Linyan is a secret weapon"
In the final, 21-year-old Zhang Linyan played an outstanding role and played a key role in turning the tide of the game for the Chinese team. Shui Qingxia said that Zhang Linyan is the secret weapon prepared by the team.
"Last year's National Games Zhang Linyan was in the Beijing team, and I had a good impression of her, thinking that this child was more capable. Later, I had the honor of being a national team coach, so I recruited her as a young player to the team to cultivate and observe, and she also did a very good job in the training. ”
"In the first match of the group stage and the semi-final against Japan, I let her start, on the one hand, she has her own ability, and at the same time I hope that she will build confidence through the game. The reason why she was replaced at half-time was to put her characteristics into the later games. Shui Qingxia said.
"At that time, I hoped that she could play a role in the key moments of the knockout round, because the opponent did not know her characteristics very well. But you can't hide it all the time, otherwise when you really want to use her, you may be nervous to let her play, and there will be no time to adjust. So it is to let her experience it first, and then change her to the field is also a kind of protection, so that she has the confidence to break out at a critical moment. Of course, she herself is also very hard, and her luck is quite good. Shui Qingxia said.
"I hope the players will go overseas to see more"
In the final, Tang Jiali scored 1 goal and assisted 1 time, playing well. As Shui Qingxia's favorite player when she coached shanghai, Tang Jiali moved to to play for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last year. Shui Qingxia said that the experience of staying in the Ocean has brought great help to Tang Jiali.
On February 6, Chinese player Tang Jiali (second from right) broke through with the ball in the final of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Javed Dahl)
"Going to the Premier League for a few months is very good for Tang Jiali's growth, especially physical confrontation. She told me that the Premier League confrontation was really fierce, and then the use of the body was also something that we didn't have in our country. This time, she was obviously more mature and confident in physical confrontation and technical application than before. In one-on-one, one-on-two situations, she generally does not fall behind. There used to be mood swings, but now it's basically calmer. Shui Qingxia said.
Shui Qingxia said she encouraged Chinese women's football players to play abroad when they had the opportunity. "When I was the head coach of the Shanghai team, Tang Jiali and Shen Mengyu had the opportunity to go out, and I let them go. I hope they will use Chinese culture and Western culture to make a collision. After going out, the concept of football and the understanding of football will be different from that in China. I've played in Japan before, and that experience helped me a lot. Going out for a walk, even a little change is a leap forward. I encourage the current team members to go out and take a look, practice, and fight. ”
"The team has paid a lot for epidemic prevention"
During the Chinese women's football team in India, many teams have had confirmed cases of new crown, and the Indian team even withdrew due to too many confirmed cases. Shui Qingxia said that the team has also been very worried about safety, and the staff of the team has done a lot of work for epidemic prevention.
"The leading group and the Chinese Football Association have done a lot of work, and we have brought enough epidemic prevention materials. Including the FOOTBALL Association staff every day to help disinfect, urge everyone, do not want bad situations to happen, the team's security team really pays a lot. Before we go to the arena or training, they have to go ahead of time, disinfect the venue, and then do everything well, which really takes a lot of thought. So our coaching staff can concentrate on preparing for the game, and finally everyone can return home safely together. Shui Qingxia said.
"I hope everyone can have a longer-term concern for women's football"
After winning the championship, the Chinese women's football team felt various forms of care and encouragement from all walks of life. Shui Qingxia said that she is very grateful to everyone, but she and the team will maintain a stable mentality.
"Because the game is played well, the attention will be higher, which is normal. I hope to calm down and do it smoothly all the time. It's not that because we play well, then everyone comes to pay attention. There will definitely be ups and downs in the process of moving forward in the future, don't be cold all at once. Of course, we can't control all this, and what we can do is to put our mentality in a better position. ”
"I hope you can have a longer-term concern for women's football." Here I actually want to give special thanks to Alipay, they are not only when we win the championship, in fact, the Chinese women's football team from the U series of all ages to the daily training and competition of the national team, to the women's B league, youth training centers at all levels, etc., have their financial support. Alipay has done a lot of things to effectively promote women's football every day, such as helping women's football in remote areas to follow the wind. This victory is the result of the efforts of many people in the past few years or even more than a decade, especially thanks to these people and enterprises who have silently supported the development of Chinese women's football for a long time. Shui Qingxia said.
"The Asian Games should adjust its mentality"
Shui Qingxia introduced that after the end of the quarantine, the Chinese women's football team will be temporarily disbanded, and the players will return to the club to prepare for the league. "Around May, the team will be training again. On FIFA matchday, if possible I would like to be able to play abroad. Playing with high-level strong teams, do not care about winning or losing, is hoping to improve the team's ability, but also to see what problems we have, only with the master of the move can improve. After coming back, there may be the East Asian Cup, and then there will be preparations for the Asian Games, and there will be many competitions this year. ”
On February 7, Chinese women's soccer team members arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of China Eastern Airlines)
Facing the Hangzhou Asian Games held in China, Shui Qingxia hopes that the team can first maintain a good attitude. "Because I won the championship all at once, I may have high expectations for women's football. Of course, it may not go well, and it is normal for football games to win or lose, but we don't want big ups and downs. In this process we may encounter problems, I think the key is to adjust the mentality, to do what I can control better. As for the result, I can accept it. ”
"Whether it is good times or bad times, I hope that everyone can support the Chinese women's football team." Shui Qingxia said.
"If you want to catch up with Europe and the United States, The Chinese women's football team needs to enhance self-confidence"
Although the Asian Cup eventually won the championship, Shui Qingxia believes that with the overall level of Asian women's football, the challenges facing Chinese women's football will become more and more serious. "Now countries and regions are increasing their investment in women's football, and the game is really not easy to play. Everyone is relatively close to the level, and sometimes we may not be dominant. ”
Talking about the gap with the first-class european and American teams, Shui Qingxia said: "The Chinese players are more comprehensive in all aspects, and the biggest difference with the European and American teams is the lack of self-confidence in the game. Technically, physically, you can shorten the gap with them, but the real gap is not confident enough. Some European players may not necessarily be better skilled than Chinese players, but they can play their own characteristics more fully. ”
"Our players still have to be a little more confident. Of course, European women's football is developing rapidly, in addition to improving technical tactics and tactics including physical confrontation, we still have to retain our own characteristics in order to use our strengths and avoid weaknesses to compete with them. ”
"We're currently catching up with Japan, Australia in Asia, and then we're going to catch up with Europe and the United States as much as possible. Winning the championship will definitely increase self-confidence, and at the same time improve some technical tactics and tactics to make the players' mentality more stable. This matter is urgent, and it must be done step by step. The Chinese women's football team has combat effectiveness and fighting spirit, but this is only part of football. Only when the mental, physical, technical and tactical, and physical aspects are improved can we go further in the World Series. Shui Qingxia said.
"There are still few girls playing football in China"
"There are still few girls playing football in China." Shui Qingxia said, "Maybe the women's football team can temporarily change some changes, but the changes will not be very big." ”
"We still have to rely on the grassroots and develop the youth training." Shui Qingxia said, "Judging from my contacts in Shanghai, there are actually quite a few people playing football in primary schools, but after junior high school, there are fewer people, because there is a problem of further education, and a lot of talents have been lost during this period." This requires the construction of the entire system. ”
"Children actually still look at their parents. I hope that more parents can choose football as a sport to exercise their children, help children face difficulties, face pressure, and then grow. Shui Qingxia said.
"Girls are encouraged to show their feminine beauty through football"
In this Asian Cup, Shui Qingxia's nail art once became a hot topic of discussion among fans. Shui Qingxia said: "Because the players have a game to be broadcast on TV, they will wear makeup and lipstick, including nail art, which I think is very good." It's an opportunity to show off women's beauty, because maybe the TV broadcast lets a lot of people know you and understand how you play. I think it's good, and I'm not against it. ”
On June 13, 2019, Zhao Lina, a goalkeeper of the Chinese women's football team, cheered in the stands. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Xu
"Because I don't like makeup very much, if I like makeup, I think I should also wear makeup." Shui Qingxia smiled.
"If these players can show her own beauty on TV, then stimulate her desire to perform." I really raised my hands in favor. Shui Qingxia said.
This issue is edited by Zhou Yuhua