Wang Shuang: Lighter, more loving| 2022 Youth Power

▲ Women's Soccer King Cream (Picture taken by ZTE Axon 40 Ultra)

She does not want to carry so many things, not to win the glory of losing the ball and lose face, but to maintain the original light mentality, to be better able to do this love.

What is the background of contemporary youth? Southern People Weekly and ZTE launched the 2022 Youth Power Special Plan to find the power of youth role models and pay tribute to brave Chinese youth.

Text / Southern People Weekly reporter Han Ruxue

From the face to the neck to the arms, the skin forms a clear dividing line at the junction of the clothes, and the white tenderness in the inner part belongs to the smiling 27-year-old girl in front of her; the black light outside belongs to the green field running through the sun. Player Wang Shuang drove alone from the training ground, her itinerary divided into hours and even minutes, and every day was put into an orderly training plan.

This may counteract the cruelty of time to athletes – "My every day is fulfilling, and I am not afraid of the passage of time." Wang Shuang bluntly said that he did not like ineffective social networking the most. Outside of training, she only likes to drink tea or coffee with friends, find a quiet place to chat, and balance the endless excitement and passion that the arena brings to her.

At present, Wang Shuang is in a "waiting" period. After playing four games in the Women's Asian Cup in early 2022, scoring five goals and sending 3 assists to help the Chinese women's football team win the championship, Wang Shuang's next big game has not yet arrived. In addition to the waiting period of her sports career, she is also waiting for her recovery. While the injury has brought trouble to the professional athlete, it has also smoothed out the young man's heart inch by inch, and she is walking through the green field with a more peaceful attitude.

The beginning of the story may be a talented athlete turning out, but after experiencing the highlights of the international football world and the trough of world cup failure, this is no longer an individual or tenacious or a narrative of struggle, but from a genius legend to a professional daily life, the athlete Wang Shuang walks to the court in a professional and real appearance: she does not think that crying is weakness, that is the way athletes relieve pressure; she is not a player who only plays football and does not worry about anything else, but a student who is worried about his dissertation at this time She does not one-sidedly think that losing is a disgrace to win is glory, and behind the moments of the big stage is the unknown kind of effort...

Regardless of the stars and champions, regardless of highlights and valleys, athlete Wang Shuang returned to the green field, she hopes not to carry so much, can chase their love with a lighter posture.

"Grab the ball down"

Several mineral water bottles were lined up in turn, a group of children stood about 10 meters away, and Wuhan in the middle of summer evening was full of airtight and sweltering heat.

Sweat gradually wet the children's foreheads, and then flowed to the necks and backs. Dripping beads of sweat like little bugs drilling through their sweatshirts, eroding their last patience little by little.

Twelve- and thirteen-year-old Xiao Wang Shuang was among them, the only girl who was practicing footwork on the soccer field. At the beginning, everyone's accuracy was not high, and it was necessary to superimpose through the number of 10 feet, 20 feet, and 30 feet, and find a feeling in the boring failures again and again.

Training time is limited, starting from school in the afternoon, not much time to go to dinner, and then study in the evening. The other children kicked enough time or kicked and left, only Xiao Wang Shuang couldn't, "I have to kick and then go to dinner." ”

The coach was distressed and let her go, she was more annoyed, and quarreled with the coach, "If you don't leave, you don't leave, you leave me." "She kept playing there, she kept playing with herself.

"The first time is a coincidence, the second time is also luck, and the third time is the real footwork skill absorption." This is the explanation given by Wang Shuang to herself, after practicing for more than a year, when she was in good shape, she basically kicked 5 feet to hit once.

When you play international competitions as an adult and play free kicks well, how much of it is the training that makes it possible to kick the bottle? No one knew, and Wang Shuang himself said it was not accurate. But what she can make clear is that every detail is so competitive, which has become the premise of winning on the green field.

The end point of competitive sports ostensibly points to medals and titles, throughout the history of sports, there are always people who rely on luck to pocket them, and there are always regrets that can not be exhausted for a lifetime, which to some extent has created the audience's fascination with its storytelling, the more details, the more conflicts, it seems that the more can achieve a legend.

But hunting has never been the perspective of athletes, and Wang Shuang prefers to play down those conflicts with professionalism, such as the competition with boys in the green field when he was a child. This shows a real value.

Her parents divorced when she was 4 years old, and she lived with her aunt and uncle, playing football with her cousin Cao Guodong. She loves to run and chase on the court and is the only girl there. Wang Shuang said bluntly that at that time, everyone was a child, the body was not mature, there was no difference in the strength of boys and girls, and even girls developed earlier, which may occupy some physical advantages.

The genius girl didn't have a knack at the beginning, and the little king frost on the green field had a very simple idea, "Grab the ball." ”

Such a figure that can compete with himself is somewhat predestined to emerge in the green field. In the sixth grade, Wang Shuang went out for the first time, from Wuhan to Beijing to participate in the training of the national team.

Unfortunately, she only played in the last minute of the game and was said by the coach to "give face".

Looking back at that period of history, Wang Shuang did not give an explanation of the version of the struggle against fate, but said that she played a small 5-a-side field in Wuhan and 11 players in the Beijing game, and was not familiar with the latter's tactics, and it was obviously unwise to rush to the court.

But she remembers a detail, that is, the coaches will record the characteristics of the young athletes in the small book, including running speed, footwork, etc., and she has been encouraged by the coaches several times to say that they have potential.

The so-called strength and resistance, conflict and injustice, do not belong to Wang Shuang's green field, she prefers to put everything to the profession, how to train how to train, the belief is still the same, "grab the ball down." ”

▲ Wang Shuang (left) is undergoing physical rehabilitation training (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

"Don't want to give up so early"

Football is not an individual sport. Talented athletes enter the group, how to get better play?

Wang Shuang's stadium idol is C Luo, but the outside world is generally worried that she is caught in a Messi-style tragedy - she performed amazingly when playing for the club, but frequently regretted entering the national team.

Industry insiders believe that in 2018, Wang Shuang won Miss Asian Football, transferred to Paris Saint-Germain Club in France, and achieved amazing football, which is a highlight moment; after the end of the match with Italy in 2019, the Chinese team lost the World Cup, and she even lost control of her emotions after the end of the game, saying "I will never play football again", which is a trough moment.

Wang Shuang herself also agrees with this division, but she directly denies the rumors of "losing peace" during the trough period. At that time, Coach Jia Xiuquan coached the Chinese women's football team, emphasizing defense and creating a defensive counterattack tactical system; Wang Shuang, who played small and fast, belonged to the offensive player.

After staying in Yangyang for a year, she found that the promotion she got was at the individual level, and she could not integrate well with the tactics of the national team, and even a little "couldn't keep up".

For a long time after that, Wang Shuang was trapped in such a contradiction. She recalls finding her goal and mechanically training every day without the creativity she had been on the pitch. Until she was selected for the national team and prepared for the Olympic Games, the waiting period ended, Wang Shuang had a new goal, returned to her own green field, and then returned to the peak - in the Women's Asian Cup in early 2022, Wang Shuang played 4 games, scored 5 goals, sent 3 assists, and helped the Chinese women's football team win the championship.

▲ In the final of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup held in Mumbai, India, the Chinese team won the championship (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

This is a new record of women's football to make history. After the game, head coach Shui Qingxia recalled the penalty to eliminate the Japanese women's football team, mentioning such an episode: before the game, she let Wang Shuang, who was absent because of his foot, come to the competition venue with the team and pretended to warm up to confuse the opponent, "If Wang Shuang does not go, the other party may feel that Wang Shuang is not playing and is prepared." I said Wang Shuang you go, even if you walk a little slower, we have a lot of people, a lot of imaginary scenarios. She went, we walked slowly around her, we couldn't see the injury, and the opponent might also make some preparations for Wang Shuang. Sure enough, the Japanese team had two special coaches staring at Wang Shuang, and Shui Qingxia's tactics confirmed the importance of Wang Shuang to the national team from the side.

Flowers and applause came again, Wang Shuang is putting down the part that belongs to the talented girl, she is a professional athlete, in addition to the "champion" has a clear cognitive judgment, frankly said that the current Chinese women's football team to be improved, first of all, we must "face up to their own problems and deficiencies."

Long before the 2019 World Cup defeat and the trough of talented players, the Chinese women's football team was bloodbathed by the German team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games with 8-0 bloodbaths, while the 2011 World Cup in Germany and the 2012 London Olympic Games did not even qualify.

"It's not that we don't work hard, it's not that we haven't improved over the years. But people are moving too fast! After returning from staying in The West in 2019, Wang Shuang expressed his concern in an interview with Southern People Weekly, "The fans are still quite tolerant of our women's football team. Speaking of the future of Chinese women's football, she said, "The road of women's football has a long way to go, I hope that more people can continue to pay attention to the Chinese women's football team and the girls who love to play football outside the national team platform, your attention may ignite the little flame of love for football in the heart of the little women's football team." ”

Genius is not a new star, player Wang Shuang is 27 years old, and there are still several World Cups and Olympic Games to play? When considering her career, Wang Shuang mentioned a Brazilian teammate she met when she stayed in The Ocean, a 43-year-old female player who is still playing. Among the domestic female footballers, Wang Shuang learned that the latest to retire is 32 years old.

She hopes to have a longer career and a new record. When it comes to the time when she once wanted to give up the most, she thought it was after the 2019 World Cup, but think about it, it is a pity to give up, with the love of football, she has regained her competitive state little by little.

Near the end of the interview, I asked her what scene most aroused her pure love for football? ——Wang Shuang has so many classic goals and highlight moments in international competitions, and everyone present is curious about her answer.

She said that when she was a child, her father (her uncle, who had long changed her name to "aunt and uncle" as "mom and dad") had a motorcycle with her and her brother in the back seat, and every weekend she went to the school team to compete. Summer in Wuhan was particularly hot, like a stove, and she and her brother were playing football on the field, and her parents were cheering on the side. After the game, parents and coaches take the children, find a small restaurant nearby, have a meal together, if they are not busy, the adults will play cards together in the evening, and a group of their children will play at the coach's house.

Look at yourself, there is still a long way to go

Dialogue with Wang Frost

Southern People Weekly: What is the biggest problem in the future development of Chinese football (women's football)? Which point do you think will be better in the future development of Chinese football after it is improved as soon as possible?

Wang Shuang: I feel the need to face myself, including other teams in Europe and Asia, some of them are stronger than us.

We still have a long way to go, and there are many areas for improvement. I hope that everyone will not be proud of defeat, maintain their original intention on the court, and always remind themselves to face their shortcomings while developing, so that they can move forward.

▲ Wang Shuang celebrates after the game (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

Southern People Weekly: Why did you decide to play abroad? What does this mean to you and what do you get? What is the difference between domestic and foreign?

Wang Shuang: Playing abroad was the bravest decision I ever made. Bravery is doing what you want to do when you are young, without having to think about the consequences or worrying a lot, but going forward to do it.

At that time, I decided to play football abroad because I wanted to get out of my original comfort zone, to feel a new environment and football atmosphere, and to adapt and enjoy myself from scratch.

Everything starts at 0. Because foreign football development is different from China's. In China, we grew up living in a group, and everything was handled by the staff. In foreign countries, you need to do what you should do independently, not only training and competition tasks, but also a lot of trivial things in your own life. Before I could just play football, now I want to face my life completely. It's also an improvement for me, because in the previous management model of the domestic sports team, I didn't have to worry about anything, I just had to focus all my attention on training and competition.

The idea of playing abroad was in 2013, when I went to play in South Korea, and in 2014, many foreign teams sent me invitations, and I also wanted to feel the development environment of European football, including now. 13, 14 years abroad when I did not communicate too much with my family or coaching team, my dad quite supported me to go out, my mom will think more about it, think that the development in the country is also very good, said that the club environment is relatively stable, do not understand why to go out, haha.

I just wanted to go out and see how much potential I really had, and I wanted to give it a try.

In foreign countries, I have only seen that European football, including French football, treats these athletes in women's football in this way, and this gap is obvious back at home.

Foreign women's football leagues are very popular, every game travel has a bus transfer, home and away, and the hardware facilities are also particularly good, is the kind of conditions that can host international competitions, such as turf and domestic differences, such as the home stadium can have 60,000 spectators.

Domestic women's soccer teams do not have their own football stadium until now, 2022.

Southern People Weekly: Under the current domestic youth training system, are female athletes facing more stringent screening rules and pressure than male athletes?

Wang Shuang: Not only football, but also the requirements and pressures of society on women will be greater.

As a woman, you may have more responsibilities, such as having children while being independent and able to earn money to support your family.

Whether it is football or various industries, the requirements and pressures for higher standards for women are actually the same.

Southern People Weekly: Describe your current situation in one word or another. (Why describe yourself that way?) ）

Wang Shuang: Wait.

Waiting for the next match and the goal, this wait has continued since the Asian Cup. The other is waiting for my own recovery, my body is currently in the recovery stage, I hope to reach a better competitive state as soon as possible to participate in the next competition. "Waiting" is cyclical in my competitive career, existing between one game and the next.

Southern People Weekly: What do you think of your parents and their upbringing? Do you understand them?

Wang Shuang: His parents were born in 1969. Their time was relatively bitter, and the conditions in terms of income and other aspects at that time were not as good as they are now. I understand them very well, and it is not easy for them to raise me and my brother in that era.

Southern People Weekly: The person who has had the greatest impact on you, a book, or a movie.

Wang Shuang: My parents have the greatest influence on me.

Because of my parents, I have the current situation, the family conditions in that era were not particularly good, my parents trained me and my brother very hard, and with their care and education, I have my current results.

Southern People Weekly: What are your expectations for your (future) next generation?

Wang Shuang: I look forward to their strong and independent, achievements in their own careers, and win more honors for the motherland within their capabilities.

Southern People Weekly: What do you think of the prospects of your field?

Wang Shuang: Now we are advocating national fitness, and more and more children around us are in contact with football, which is the world's largest sport. I hope that Chinese football can get better and better. There are many people who love football, and I also believe that the future of Chinese football will be better and better.

Southern People Weekly: Responsibility, rights and personal freedom, which do you value the most?

Wang Shuang: Personal freedom.

When I speak of individual freedom, it is more of an intellectual aspect, a spiritual level of freedom. Football is a very concerned sport, we as a national player, on behalf of China to compete, to win more honors for the motherland, there is a certain pressure and responsibility to carry on the body, I hope to have spiritual freedom and this pressure to make a adjustment and balance, so that the personal growth of our players will also be of greater help.

There are many fans and friends who pay attention to football, we may have a lot of scolding and scolding when we lose, and there may be more applause and cheers when winning, I hope that everyone can give us a more relaxed environment to develop.

It is not simply to score a goal to win the glory, to lose a ball to lose face, people only see the good and bad we show in the big stage of the game, but in ordinary days, we even pay double the efforts of others, everyone can not see.

If you lose, it's that you don't work hard, you don't give your all for the sport. This is not the case. I grew up playing football, now have 20 years of football career, it can be said that the whole youth and time are paid in football, so are many players, no one pays so much time cost but does not work hard. As long as they are football players, they are all paying and working hard. This cruelty of winning and losing is itself part of the cruelty of competitive sports.

Southern People Weekly: What is the last thing you want to waste your time on?

Wang Shuang: Ineffective socializing.

Southern People Weekly: What other worries and worries do you have now?

Wang Shuang: If you talk about worry, the current time period is a worry about your own injury.

Because footballers don't have a very long athletic lifespan, there are many athletes who end their careers due to injuries. For me, I'm 27 now and I'm more worried about my injury recovery at this stage. If I don't get a good recovery, it could shorten my football career.

(Thanks to Southern People Weekly reporter Xu Mei for his help with this article)

epilogue

Young people, the soul of the nation also. Contemporary young people are lovers, bearers, adherents, creators, and even more brave people. Southern People Weekly and ZTE Mobile Launched the 2022 Youth Power Special Plan to find 54 brave Chinese youths and listen to their youth songs with the theme of "bravery".