Xu Huan believes that he was born to guard the door. She just celebrated her 23rd birthday not long ago, and this is her tenth year as a goalkeeper.
In the final of the Women's Asian Cup on February 6, the Chinese women's football girls fought back 3:2. In fact, Xu Huan, as the third goalkeeper, did not get the opportunity to play. However, although he did not appear, his happiness was not reduced by half a point. At the moment of winning the championship, Xu Huan and his teammates clapped and hugged, and they lifted the Asian Cup trophy together. In July, the Chinese women's football team competed in the East Asian Cup, and Xu Huan's name appeared in the final list. The dream of her country is still being written.
On the pitch, standing firmly in front of the goal, she is safe; Off the field, Xu Huan became "Xu Yilian", she has the jump of a new generation of athletes, she loves to be funny, love to laugh, and a little "God".
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Text / Liu Xueting, Yin Hang
Editor / Yin Haonan
The following is Xu Huan's self-statement:
Steel plate with dancing machine
My first exposure to football was in the fifth grade of elementary school, when there was no dedicated goalkeeper coach in my hometown of Xuzhou, so I didn't officially start my goalkeeper career until I was 13 years old. In fact, when I was a child, I was very introverted, and when people asked me what my name was, I would write my name to him. After becoming a goalkeeper, I have the character I have now.
Anyone who has played the ball may understand that the position of goalkeeper requires some "god nagging" ability, such as the need to be a little more assertive, so as to suppress the opponent from the momentum.
When I was a kid, my coach asked us, "As long as there is a team captain and a stage performance, the goalkeeper must participate." He also told me that goalkeepers are going to go crazy. Like my favorite player, Neuer, he never plays cards on the court, and there are always some unexpected moves of his own.
My teammate Lou Jiahui said that I was very similar to Zhao Lina when I was a child, so I also gave us a name, called "God Nagging" combination. I've always felt that there's no need to limit myself to a certain position on the pitch, so if I have the chance, I'll be a "janitor" like Neuer.
Six years ago, my wrist suffered a stale fracture due to a long period of convulsions. At that time, various doctors had seen it, said that I wanted to continue to keep the goalkeeping may not be good, and advised me to retire. But I thought no, I was born for goalkeeping, I haven't been to the national team, I haven't fought for the Chinese goalkeeper again, I'm definitely not going to retire.
Fortunately, later Chen Baoyi, a doctor of the Jiangsu Youth Team, thought of a way for me, ordinary people who fracture their bones will use a fixed protective gear, in order not to let the wrist turn back, my wrist will also clip a steel plate like that. At first, I felt very uncomfortable, and the technical movements were very limited because of this piece of protective gear, but now I am getting used to it. I've found some moves that suit me, so at the moment I have almost no problem with my goalkeeping.
And to be honest, I think my height is really good for goalkeeping. I am 179.5 net tall, and I am suitable for both the world and the earth. If I had a personal stunt that suited the goalkeeper, I think it was a dancing machine... I played the dancing machine so much that I could say that I had exercised my own coordinated and sensitive pace very well on it, which really should be promoted to the major clubs. I also bought one in the league last year and went to the division, and I felt like I did have some talent in terms of rhythm.
Before going to the Asian Cup this year, I was actually quite nervous, because of the epidemic in India, before leaving, I was worried about whether it would be finally canceled. Because the car can not open the window ventilation, the hotel also has no window, at that time I felt that I lacked oxygen, including on the training ground, the only opportunity to breathe freely, but also felt uncomfortable. At that time, we would send out self-test kits every day, and I was worried before the results came out every day.
Of course, I don't feel sorry that I didn't get the chance to play in the Asian Cup. After all, the position of goalkeeper is very special, and the coach cannot be replaced casually, because the substitution will greatly affect the state of a goalkeeper. For a goalkeeper, you only need to be 200% prepared, as long as you are replaced, you must use the best state to handle every ball, if you are not well prepared, you will be directly confused on the field, and it will be difficult to get a chance next time.
So I've been trying to be ready, but if you think about it, I've only been promoted to the senior team for a few years, and I'm a newcomer in terms of honors. I haven't won the Women's Super League yet, I haven't won the Best Goalkeeper in the Women's Super League, I still want to play in the AFC Champions League; I haven't played in the World Cup in the national team, and although I've been in 19 years, I haven't been able to play, and I want to play in the Olympics, which is my goal.
I also want to play abroad, but not now. I want to be stable at home for two more years, first keep my self-confidence out, in our circle of words called "play oil", and then when I have the opportunity to go abroad, I may play more confidently.
In fact, going abroad is not necessarily the best choice, if you can't reach the state of fast-paced competition at any time, you may lose confidence. This is also the worst situation for an athlete, so before reaching that ability, I am not in a hurry to know too many specific details of staying in the Ocean, and I am still learning English to prepare for the future.
"Stay away from dopamine and chase endorphins backwards"
Although I was small in the team, the big sisters around me were very open, there was no shelf, and I could play with them. However, they still can't understand why Zhang Linyan and Wang Yanwen sometimes suddenly laugh. In fact, we just like to be funny, and the three of us will laugh when we see each other's ugly photos.
My teammates like to call me "Yilian". This name was given to a fortune teller, who said that I was short of gold in my life, and named xu Yilian. He also said that every time one more person calls me Xu Yilian, I will be lucky.
But I didn't understand what elements of the name were gold.
Some time ago, MBTI was very popular, and I also measured it. I am ENFJ type, and the keywords are extroversion, intuition, emotion, judgment. I think it's accurate. I have some small "metaphysical" habits, such as I will always wear the socks of my left foot first, I will definitely tie my hair with the hair ring that I have always won before the game, and for example, before the game, everyone will get together to encourage and will unanimously extend their right foot.
Saying that it is a "metaphysical" habit, in fact, doing so will feel that everyone is fighting together, will receive such a signal, and will feel encouraged.
Outside of training, I've been very focused on wellness lately, and I'll drink celery juice. Because of frequent exposure to the sun, there will be a lot of annoying pimples. I've also had facial anxiety, and it has to start with my experience as a model.
I was sick and had to go home to recuperate for half a year and couldn't play football. I thought, let's do something that hasn't been done before! I'm curious about a lot of professions outside of football, even if it's handing out flyers, I want to try it out and experience it.
I submitted a lot of resumes and applied for a car model. As early as when I was in kindergarten, I had a dream of modeling, and when I was a child, I was a small model, and I was also in the newspaper and television. People saw that I was in good shape and that my height was there, so they let me go to the car model activities together. When I got to the auto show, I realized how unprofessional I was.
The other car model, a professional model, would pose in all kinds of graceful movements, and I stood stiffly on the side. She secretly taught me a position, telling me to flip my wrists up and bend to my waist. I learned, and then I stood this one move the whole time.
In fact, this experience is quite embarrassing, but I just stuck on the scalp. I just want to experience it, and no one knows anyone anyway.
Xu Huan as a car model (left)
Teammates sometimes say I have a "nine-headed body," which is a clothes rack. But when you're in the modeling world, you really have look anxiety. You will meet a lot of people who are more beautiful than you, and everyone is really too demanding of looks.
What you feel on the pitch is another kind of beauty for girls. Regardless of appearance, sports will make people temperamental. So after returning to the pitch, my confidence came back.
I have some emotional bloggers and lifestyle bloggers on the Internet who will learn to improve themselves. I have recently bought a lot of posters, and I practice words every day, and I am very happy and satisfied when I practice words.
"Stay away from dopamine and chase down endorphins" is the code of life I now believe in. For me, dopamine is the pleasure of time, and endorphins are the pleasure of self-discipline. People have to go to a high place, and after you reach a certain height, the people around you will be equally good.
Xu Huan's desk, the results of the writing practice were neatly pasted on the wall
Women's soccer, wolves and wolves
I think the word "sonorous rose" is very good. But for myself, I hope that in the eyes of more people, women's football is a wolf.
I used to have a coach when I was on the youth team, and he told us about the "wolf way." I wish I were a wolf, and our team was a pack of wolves.
Because the wolf identifies a goal, it will persevere, will never give up to chase him, to drag him down. Wolves have backbones and are bloody. As long as you want to win this game, no matter how difficult it is, you have to drag down your opponent.
Some fans have sent me a private message before, saying that "I don't come to the peak, nor do I turn around and leave at the trough", and I was particularly touched after reading it. People in our football circles are envious of the football atmosphere abroad, the support and companionship of the fans is very important to us, as players we also have to train harder and then repay them with better results, these are mutual.
I think new fans can start by paying attention to women's football matches. Learn more about the women's Super League team, understand the characteristics of each player, and find your favorite player. Then follow their games, and then extend to pay attention to their lives. Naturally, there will be some feelings for women's football.
Many people are looking at the men's football first and then looking at the women's football, I think there will definitely be a lot of differences between boys playing football and girls playing football, if you really like football, you can come to see our women's football games.
Because football is round, you can find a lot of different and interesting things on top of football.