If time went back to the 1980s, many people would certainly not want to. In the early days of reform and opening up, the general standard of living of the Chinese people was very low, far from the affluence and convenience of today, but it was a big deal for the Chinese men's soccer team.
At the time, the national soccer team was in the top four in Asia, and with only two qualifiers for the World Cup in Asia and Oceania, China used to be very close to that place for nearly 90 minutes.
Experience: Further to the World Cup
Qualifying for the 1981 World Cup in Spain began with 20 teams from Asia and the Pacific vying for two qualifications. Our now familiar Iran, Japan and South Korea have returned to the first stage, with New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and China Witte and China.
At that time, the favorite team was the Asian champion Kuwait, China also has the strength of the qualifying round. After losing to New Zealand in the first round of the tournament, China suffered an "open door black" defeat. In the second round, facing the strongest team, Kuwait, when everyone thought that China would inevitably suffer two consecutive defeats, Rong Zhixing, who had recovered from injuries, rose to the occasion. His header helped China open the first record, and then he sent a marvelous pass to help Gu Guangming extend the score. In the end, the scoreline was set at 3:0 against their most formidable rivals, Kuwait.
In fact, in the end, China could still advance to the World Cup. As long as Saudi Arabia loses to New Zealand by more than 5 goals at home, China can still advance on goal difference. Saudi Arabia is not a weak team, but is playing at home. New Zealand can only be described as a miracle, but in the end miracles happen. In the first half, New Zealand scored 5 goals in a row to confuse Saudi Arabia. The result still seems strange now.
China had to play another play-off match with New West, the national soccer team had been disbanded for more than two months, the opponents were getting braver and braver, the defeat extinguished China's first World Cup dream immediately, after the match coach Su Yongshun didn't complain about the opponents, the weather and the preparation, but said "we lacked experience, the first game was lightly beaten, which ultimately led to the later passivity. " In today's Chinese soccer, this active block has become an anomaly.
Achievements: Asia's top class, Asian Cup runner-up
There is no such thing as China's "Koreaphobia", or "Japophobia"; China would have broken out of Asia long ago if the quota had not been limited. On the contrary, Japan once suffered from it. "Fear of China" in the 1980s, the Japanese men's soccer team to face China's victory or defeat.
In the 1984 Asian Cup final, in the case of the first loss, China won Singapore and India, the last round to face the United Arab Emirates, China will play their own characteristics, Yang Zhaohui, Jia Xiuquan, Zuo Shusheng, Zhao Dayu, Gu Guangming and others scored five goals, 5:0 victory over the head of the Angkor, you can see that the national soccer team dares to fight can also fight.
Facing Kuwait in the semi-final, both sides failed to achieve anything in the 90 minutes. Overtime head coach Zeng Xuelin was replaced by Li Huayun. Shortly after coming on, he staged a long-distance attack, scoring a goal that helped China reach the final in historic fashion.
Although it lost the final to Saudi Arabia, it set China's best result at the Asian Cup. Jia Xiuquan did not receive a yellow card in any of the matches and won the Best Fashion Award. Jia Xiuquan won the Asian Cup Golden Boot award with three goals and as a center back!
Highlight: victory over Argentina with half of their starters playing
In the 1982 Beijing International Football Friendship Invitational Tournament, China drew with Morocco, Algeria and Yugoslavia selections and Uruguay, but those were not the highlights.
During the game, Argentina was unable to attack for a long time and was emotionally impatient, which was eventually killed by China. In the 82nd minute, in Shen Xiangfu grabbed and teammates continue to cooperate, a 1.61 meters of small men Zhao Dayu in the penalty area line low shot to break the goal. This height may be eliminated by the youth training in today's system, but 38 years ago made the achievement "short foot tiger" Zhao Dayu.
Argentina is not a play-off nature. They really wanted to win, but China gave them a stick. At that time, the national soccer team really had the power to take down the world's strongest teams. While we envied Japan, South Korea became the "Light of Asia". In fact, 40 years ago, the real Light of Asia was us.
Stars: North and South stars reflect each other
In that era, in addition to many players, most of them have the strength to stand firm in Europe. At that time, due to the efforts of the national football team, Chinese sports have a special title "Zhixing style" said the Chinese player Rong Zhixing, when the Zhixing style and the spirit of women's volleyball inspired 80 years of Chinese courage.
In 1983, Li Huayun, Bebeto and Bastian were recognized as the "Six Rising Stars" in the World Youth Championship.
After the warm-up match with Barcelona, the team management tried to bring in Ancient Guangming, who ended up following his example. "only want to play for the Chinese team" and refused, nearly 30 years old to the German Bundesliga can still make a living.
So many Guangdong players, but at that time China's best team in the north, throughout the 80's almost Liaoning world, Malin and others into the national team, national soccer southern and northern players reflect the national soccer tactics provide more possibilities, the flexibility and speed of the southerners, the sublime and courage of the northerners became the representative of the national soccer team at that time.
Regrets: The events of May 19, 1985
Such a pretty national soccer team isn't consistent enough. They can beat Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia, but they often overturned in the ditch, losing to Thailand in '83, the black three minutes in '89, many people do not want to remember. The "5-19" has become an eternal pain in the hearts of a generation.
However, the match was very difficult. With the light rain in Beijing, the Chinese team lost 1-2, so they sadly said goodbye to the World Cup in Mexico. Historically, the Chinese soccer team lost to Hong Kong, China. With the loss of the match, thousands of fans could no longer hide their inner anger. When the emotions of anger, disappointment and regret were intertwined, conflicts broke out. Some extreme fans started to smash public facilities and stormed into the stadium to beat up Hong Kong fans and foreign journalists. The scene went out of control.
The fans chanted "Zeng Xuelin come out!" Completely forgetting the joy he brought to the fans a year ago, Zeng Xuelin and his disciples hid in the hotel for three days, not daring to go out.
Smashing a TV is not a performance, jumping off a building is not because of gambling, today's laughingstock national soccer team is the Holy Grail in the eyes of fans, but they lost a game they should not have lost, Tsang Suet Lin later summarized two reasons, one is the leadership believes that Hong Kong is not only to win, put too much pressure on the players, the other is that Hong Kong accidentally took the lead, the players panicked only know how to shoot the ball without tactics.
"5-19 is my nightmare, I won't close my eyes until Chinese soccer turns over." After the storm, Zeng Xuelin never served as head coach of any team again and died in 2016 at the age of 86 after a long illness.
Soccer in the 1980s brought infinite hope and happiness to the Chinese people, our sports also took off, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics new China appeared in front of the world for the first time, Xu Haifeng threw down the first gold medal, Li Ning Olympic three gold medals, Gao Min achievements in diving myth ...... also the great women's volleyball team five consecutive times The volleyball team won five consecutive championships, becoming the strongest voice of China's sports era at the time. Soccer is full of hope. Even if the result is not satisfactory, the fighting spirit is always there, and it can always bring surprises in the face of strong enemies.
