On November 17, Wuhan Three Town beat China B runners-up Dandong Tengyue 5-1 in the second round of the 2022 China FA Cup to advance. In this match, Wuhan Three Town youth training player Xia Xiaoxi made his debut in the first team. They lived up to the expectations of the club and head coach Pedro. Xia Xiaoxi made great achievements in passing the ball. Ren Xiqing also scored a goal after coming on as a substitute.
In this match, the all-China team Wuhan Sanzhen lined up in a 442 formation, with young Xia Xiaoxi making his debut in the team's left-wing position. This was also his first appearance for the first team of Wuhan Sanzhen. For a young player, the chance to play for the first team for the first time is precious. Xia Xiaoxi naturally won't forget such an unforgettable moment: "I was more or less nervous before the game, but more excited about the game. The coach told me to act boldly and not to be afraid."
As a professional soccer club based on youth training, Wuhan Sanzhen's predecessor, Shangwen Youth Training, cooperated with Wuhan Municipal Sports Bureau and Wuhan Football Association to start the "Overseas Training Stars" program. Since 2015, the club has sent 107 young players to Spain to receive professional soccer training, and 19-year-old Ren Xiqing, 18-year-old Lin Kejun and 17-year-old Xia Xiaoxi were included. The three of them traveled to Spain with the team in 2015, 2016 and 2018 respectively. Over the past five years, nearly 20 young players from the three towns have been selected for national teams at all levels. One of them, outstanding goalkeeper Liu Shao Ziyang, was FC Bayern Munich's first Chinese player last year.
In the beginning of the game, Xiaoxi repeatedly created opportunities for her teammates by calmly dribbling the ball against the defense of runner-up Dandong. In the 35th minute of the first half, Xia Xiaoxi relied on an aggressive battle to finish off a steal at the back of the net to help her teammates break the deadlock. Two minutes later, Lu Haidong's cross from the bottom of the left highway was received by Xia Xiaoxi in the penalty area and calmly led the keeper, but the shot was blocked by the opponent.
However, Xia Xiaoxi's highest moment of brightness was still ahead. In the 56th minute of the second half, Wuhan Sanzhen made a quick counterattack. Tao Qianglong sent in a low cross from the right side. Xia Xiaoxi, who was tapping in the penalty area, took on an opponent's defender and drove the ball to the top corner of the goal for the score. The score changed to 3-0 and 17-year-old Xia Xiaoxi scored his first goal for Wuhan Sanzhen's first team. It was a perfect performance for Xia Xiaoxi to make his first-team debut with a goal. After the match, he also thanked the club and coach Pedro: "First of all, I'm very grateful to the club and head coach Pedro for giving me this opportunity. I'm also very lucky to have scored. I'm happy to have contributed to the team today."
In the 74th minute of the second half, Xia Xiaoxi was replaced by a young player produced by Tri-Town Youth Training. Meanwhile, another young player, Lin Kejun, also had a chance to play. Xia Xiaoxi's first first team appearance also ended successfully with a goal and an assist. This FA Cup battle also gave Xia Xiaoxi his first chance to compete with first team players: "It feels like there is a good atmosphere in the team now, the big brothers are taking care of our young players, and have been encouraging me and playing with me on the pitch."
After the game, Xia Xiaoxi, who was highly expected by the fans, also expressed his gratitude to the fans in Wuhan Sanzhen: "Everyone's affirmation of me has been inspiring me to move forward. Thank you for your support. I hope to make more progress as soon as possible through continuous efforts and learning from the veteran players."
After coming on as a substitute, Ren Xiqing and Lin Kejun separated on the left and right sides of the offensive line and continued to put pressure on the opponent's hinterland. Although he is still young, he is very powerful on the field. After the final whistle, Lin Kejun recalled the game saying, "It was my first time on the field for the first team. At that moment, I felt very excited. I wanted to work hard and give my best. Compared to the previous match, today's confrontation was much better. It was an adult battle. I gave myself 75 points in 15 minutes. I hope to do better in the next game and create more chances."
In the 85th minute of the second half, after Ren Xiqing received a direct ball from Generalissimo He in the penalty area, he calmly drove the ball to the far corner of the goal. Facing this precise shot, the rival keeper did not make any saves, so he had to watch the ball roll into the net. Another exciting moment belonging to the Tri-Town youth training. In the first match, this wonderful goal was worthwhile for Ren Xiqing: "First of all, I am very thankful to the club for training and giving us such a great opportunity and platform. Before the game, the head coach asked us to give it our all, not to be burdened by our thoughts and to seize the opportunity. I am very happy to make my first team debut and score a goal. I am also very thankful to my big brothers in the team for creating opportunities for us and I will build on that in the future."
In the post-match press conference, Pedro, who used to be Wuhan Three Town's Director of Youth Training, praised the performance of the three young players in particular, as the Spanish coach said, "We are a club that insists on training as a foundation, and after years of hard work, it's encouraging to see that we can now reap the fruits of that." After years of persistence and investment, Wuhan Three Town is finally beginning to reap the fruits of youth training. I hope Xia Xiaoxi, Ren Xiqing, Lin Kejun and other young generals will bring us more surprises in the future.
