On September 7, the Chinese Football Association announced the 23-member training list of the Chinese women's football team to participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The list has sparked a lot of attention and discussion among fans, because of an important change: Tang Jiali, a former hero of the Chinese women's football team, was abandoned by head coach Shui Qingxia, and she announced on social media that she had officially joined the Spanish team of Levante Las Planas Women.
Born March 16, 1995, Tang Jiali plays as a striker/forward.
She is one of the most talented and offensive players of the Chinese women's football team in recent years, having performed well under Jia Xiuquan, helping the Chinese women's team to the runner-up of the 2018 Asian Cup and the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup.
She is also the first Chinese female footballer to play in the Premier League and La Liga.
However, after Shui Qingxia took office, Tang Jiali's situation changed dramatically.
She was not selected in the squad for either the 2021 East Asian Cup or the 2022 Asian Cup, but made only two appearances as a substitute at the 2023 World Cup, totaling only 28 minutes.
This made many fans feel puzzled and regretted, believing that Tang Jiali is one of the most threatening attackers in the Chinese women's football team and should be given more opportunities and trust.
The announcement of the Asian Games squad made Tang Jiali completely lose hope of staying in the national team.
She posted a photo of herself wearing the Levantelas Planas women's soccer jersey on social media, writing: "Friends, I have officially joined the Levantelas Planas Women's Team! ”。
This also means that she will play in the La Liga Women's League in the new season, seeking new opportunities and challenges.
For Tang Jiali, the La Liga Women's Football League is a stage to show her strength and value.
La Liga Women's Football League is one of the highest level leagues in Europe, bringing together many good players and teams.
Levantelas Planas Women's is a traditional powerhouse in the La Liga Women's League, having won several league titles and cups.
In such an environment, Tang Jiali needs to prove her strength in the game, strive for more playing time and goals, and add glory to her career.
Of course, Tang Jiali is not the only Chinese female football player abandoned by Shui Qingxia.
In the Asian Games squad, four other players who participated in the World Cup were replaced, namely Gao Chen, Wu Haiyan, Wu Chengshu and Xiao Yuyi.
These players all have different levels of experience and ability, but they are not favored by Shui Qingxia.
Instead, Shui Qingxia recalled three players who stayed in the ocean, namely Wang Shuang, Shen Mengyu and Li Mengwen.
This shows that Shui Qingxia has her own thoughts and intentions for the construction and development of the team, and she hopes to improve the overall strength and combat effectiveness of the team through such adjustments and replacements.
However, Shui Qingxia's decision-making also faces great pressure and risk.
The Asian Games are very important for the Chinese women's football team and an important stage to test the strength of the team.
Chinese women's football has an illustrious history at the Asian Games, winning gold four times, most recently at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
At this Asian Games, the Chinese women's football team will face challenges from strong opponents such as Japan, North Korea, and South Korea, and if she cannot win the championship, or even miss the medal, then Shui Qingxia may be held accountable and even face the danger of being dismissed.
Tang Jiali was abandoned by Shui Qingxia and joined the Spanish team, which sparked people's attention and discussion about the squad of the Chinese women's Asian Games.
Tang Jiali needs to prove her strength in the La Liga Women's Football League, while Shui Qingxia needs to achieve good results at the Asian Games and bring glory to the Chinese women's team.
We expect the Chinese women's football team to show their strength and potential in the Asian Games, and we also hope that Tang Jiali can find her place and value in Spain."