Li Ming (right) training small player, big game player, this is less than 1.7 meters tall player u17 national soccer team captain Li Ming. This young man named "Li Ming" also experienced the so-called "dark moments" in the process of growing up. However, with the encouragement of his teammates, he finally got out of the doldrums. Now, with a small body carrying a heavy responsibility, Liming encourages the team to move forward bravely with a big heart. He is the core of the field trusted by coaches and teammates.
Understanding team power, for the captain, for the captain
At 1.67 meters tall, Lai Ming is one of several small players in the National Junior Yuxi Training Camp, and one of several small players in the National Junior Yuxi Training Camp. u17 Asian Preliminary Tournament pivot of offense and defense. In the words of head coach Yang Chen, "As a bridge between strikers and defenders, Lai plays a connecting role in the midfield position." During the national junior training, he was not only a role model on the training field, but also a bridge between his teammates and the head coach.
Facing the other four midfielders on the 40-man training roster, Dawn was not proud of his success and was never assured of it. As a midfielder, he felt his size, confrontation, long passes, and vision needed to be improved.
Lai still remembers u in the final round of the Asian Cup qualifiers, recalling, "The second goal conceded was caused by me because I kicked in the air." While bravely taking responsibility, he immediately reminded himself to stop thinking about it and that the match was not yet over. It wasn't until after the match that he seriously reflected that the mistake was completely avoidable, "In fact, there were better ways to deal with it.
A growing midfielder, Lai is also a trusted captain for his teammates. A few years ago, he had a tough time at the Genbao soccer base. After realizing the strength of the team, Lai took on more and more responsibility on and off the pitch. In the early stages of the 2021 National Youth Team, which had been divided into red and blue teams due to its large numbers, he was chosen by his teammates to captain the red team. When these two teams merged, he was accidentally appointed captain by Yang Chen.
In life, he had to enter the room as the captain, summarize the team's problems, and encourage his teammates as friends; in the game, he would remind some teammates to "don't be nervous", and passively yell "wrong, come again".
One step up the ladder in the national rankings
When he was in the third grade, Lai was influenced by his neighbors and children for playing soccer. From there, he began to enjoy school soccer at Nanzha Experimental Primary School in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province. Two years later, he was favored by the coach of the Jiangyin Sports School for his outstanding on-field awareness, and transferred to the school to receive semi-professional training.In July 2018, a friend from the first step's sports school sent a phone call to try out for Genbao's soccer base - the captain of today's national team is only five years old.
With the gradual improvement in the level of training in schools, sports schools and soccer schools, the direction of soccer has become more and more firm in the minds of young people. It is now clear to him that he is no longer considering any other life choices other than becoming a professional player. With this experience and training, we have a better chance than others of our age to become professional players," he says.
Lai recalls, "Fortunately, my parents have always supported my hobbies and ideas, so it was possible for me to play professional soccer." When the 2006 age group ladder of the Genbao Soccer School was bought out in a one-off deal, the students, including Lai, added another identity - that of a ladder player for Shanghai Port's music department.
Every student knows what's ahead of them on the "ladder", but not everyone can be disciplined. Whenever he goes home to visit his family for vacation, besides staying at home with his parents, Dawn always remembers that being a "professional player" is what he wants to be, so he often goes to the nearby park to do ball-less training.
Like most of his teammates on the national youth team, there is a training agreement between Dawn and the club. Within two years it must be known if they can become professional players. "The national youth experience will help us a lot in the future. I want to give my all along the path of the national youth team, the national Olympics and the national team, and move up the ladder one level at a time in the national brand.
National Junior uniforms are not easy to come by
As one of the first Junior National players this year, Dawn is used to the competitive atmosphere of the team and the comings and goings of many players. Take his field position, for example. There are seven or eight midfielders who have attended National Junior training, and each one cherishes the opportunity to train. Every player who comes here is actively competing for every position.
He knows that the national junior team's robes are not easy to come by and that the captain's armband means a "heavier burden" and a "bigger mission" for the whole team. "No matter what," he said of the opponents in the u Asian Cup draw, as long as we can show what we usually train for, we'll have hope of winning." He responded to Yang Chen's goal of "entering the World Youth Championships" with words and deeds, "The World Youth Championships is the biggest stage for our team and the best chance to win honor for our country.
In the No.1 field of Yuxi Highland Soccer Training Base, Yang Chen's advocacy of "Attitude, Discipline and Execution" can be seen everywhere, always reminding the 40 new and old players. In this regard, captain Li Ming shared his understanding: "Attitude is to maintain a brave and tenacious style of play on and off the pitch, and the confidence to win; discipline is to do what you are told to do, and not to have other ideas; execution is to do your best to meet the usual training requirements and tactical requirements of the game.
