Southern Network News (Reporter/ Chen Siyue Correspondent / Yingde Prison) On the evening of February 6, the Chinese women's football team defeated the South Korean team 3-2 and once again climbed to the top of the Asian women's football team after 16 years. Looking back at the glorious history of Chinese women's football, you will find that there are many Guangdong faces, and former international Zhao Lihong is one of them.
Zhao Lihong. Courtesy of the correspondent
Speaking of Zhao Lihong, the Yingde people called her "Yingde Pride". The former women's football international born in Guangdong Yingde, began to officially practice football at the age of 12, officially selected for the Guangdong team at the age of 16, was selected for the national team for the first time at the age of 20, represented the national team to participate in more than 100 matches, was twice named the best player in the women's football league in 1993 and 1995, and won the double runner-up of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the 1999 World Cup as the main left forward of the Chinese women's football team, known as the "world's best left forward".
"Sonorous roses" thrive
Zhao Lihong's father, Zhao Jinxiu, and his mother, Song Xiurong, are retired police officers in Yingde Prison, and their mother usually likes sports, loves to play table tennis when she is young, and is keen on sword dancing after retirement. Zhao Lihong has loved sports since she was a child. Her parents did not interfere too much with her playing football, allowing them to learn and play football freely. Zhao Lihong's uncle also often encouraged her: "Be brave on the court, don't be afraid!" Although it may not be stronger than others, but do not back down, momentum can not lose! ”
After graduating from primary school, Zhao Lihong was admitted to Yingde First Middle School, and her academic performance has always been in the top three of the class, and she is full of confidence in her future Zhao Lihong. At that time, the development of football and basketball in Yingde was in a strong period, and the physical education teacher encouraged Zhao Lihong to try it. At that time, Zhao Lihong was still very young, and the height of 13 years old was only 142 centimeters, the weight was only more than 60 pounds, Zhao Lihong participated with the mentality of trying it out, and finally, in the second selection of the coach, Zhao Lihong was successfully selected into the sports school because of her excellent running ability and good coordination, and since then, Zhao Lihong has begun her career on the green field.
Zhao Lihong competition photo. Courtesy of the correspondent
Zhao Lihong has a nickname called "A Cat". The origin of the nickname "A Cat" was given to his teammates when he began to receive formal football training at the sports school, because at that time Zhao Lihong was small and thin, but he ran very fast and agile like a cat. Zhao Lihong himself also liked this nickname. More than a decade later, the nickname has been retained, and everyone has found that she has more and more cat characteristics. Every day after training, after rinsing and taking a shower, she always stuck to bed and lay lazily, reading, listening to songs, and playing on the computer.
Every girl has a heart that loves beauty, for Zhao Lihong, beauty seems to be somewhat "luxurious", most of the time every day in training, the most clothes are jerseys, every day in the base, even if you buy clothes, there is no chance to wear. When she occasionally put on the skirt, she exposed her slender and well-proportioned calves, but she pointed to the scar left by the kick injury with dissatisfaction, "Look, it is better not to show it." Life is monotonous and boring, the whole body is scarred, remember to ask, "Is it worth it to pay so much?" This time she didn't laugh, her voice and expression were faint, "It's been almost twenty years, it's all been like this, get used to it." That's my profession, the one I chose myself. ”
She is like a lion that never tires
Zhao Lihong has a "ghostly" speed, and what makes every defender headache is her dexterous and beautiful footwork. Look at the timing, start quickly, catch the ball, make a quick stop, change direction, cross the edge under the bottom... The left and right feet are omnipotent, giving her plenty of room to gallop on the soccer field. You'll see her galloping like an indefatigable lion on a TV screen, and a 12-minute run of 3,200 meters is no less than the men's team. Although she is rarely seen scoring goals, more often than not, she runs on the left, breaking, breaking, breaking again, sending wonderful passes for her teammates, or quickly defending and stealing, she is also as respected as the striker who scored.
Group photo of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, wearing the No. 6 team uniform is Zhao Lihong. Courtesy of the correspondent
Whenever I see the photo of the Olympic Games, Zhao Lihong's thoughts will be taken back to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, when the women's football team was listed as an official Olympic event, "I was able to represent the national team as a member of the Chinese women's football team to participate in such a competition, from the heart I really feel very proud and proud, and I still remember FIFA's evaluation of China's women's football team is like this: The performance of the Chinese women's football team in the Olympic Games is like playing chess on the turf." Zhao Lihong said that the first opponent of the Chinese women's football team in that Olympic Games was sweden, in the previous World Cup, China and Sweden had won and lost each other, the strength is very close, Zhao Lihong played the left forward position on the field, the speed is very fast, is the first master of the women's football team to break through. In the 32nd minute of the first half, Zhao Lihong seized an opportunity, she recalled: "The moment the ball was played, I felt that the ball had it, and I felt really happy to score at the Olympic Games." With Zhao Lihong's goal, the Chinese women's team won the first Olympic game 2-0. Subsequently, the Chinese team eliminated Denmark and Brazil in succession to enter the final, but lost to the United States team, regrettably winning the runner-up. "It's still a pity, after all, such a group of excellent athletes, working together, struggling together, it is difficult to reproduce." Zhao Lihong said. Despite not winning the championship, the girls of the Chinese women's football team proudly raised the five-star red flag.
In the final of the 1999 World Cup in the United States, the Chinese team lost to the United States team on penalties and won the runner-up again, but the fighting spirit of the women's football girls made them gain the reputation of "sonorous roses". Speaking of this title, Zhao Lihong commented: "Rose is also an evaluation of the upward spirit of Chinese women's football, the spirit of hard work, and the image of a more energetic girl. ”
Yingde City, as the hometown of Chinese women's football, is known as the "cradle of Chinese women's football", after the Chinese women's football team won the Asian Cup, many local media combed the history of the struggle of Chinese women's football, highlighting Zhao Lihong, who was regarded by the British and Germans as a symbol of the times "sonorous rose". After experiencing the ups and downs of Chinese women's football, Zhao Lihong chose to retire in 2004, and although she has been away from Chinese women's football for many years, Zhao Lihong's "sonorous rose" is still beautifully blooming. After retiring, Zhao Lihong worked in the Guangdong Football Management Center, responsible for the training of youth football, she hopes that more teenagers love football, like football, participate in football, and let the spirit of women's football be passed on from generation to generation.