This year's Games, it's different, and what's your intuition?
The special thing about this National Games is that Shui Guide (Shui Qingxia) left us, the team was short-staffed, members of the national team were pulled out, the Shaanxi team was exchanged, and there were also players who went far away to stay overseas, despite this, we still gave it our best shot, no matter if they were young or senior players, the coaching team was no exception, we overcame the difficulties, which was obvious to everyone, and in the end, we won the second place.
What was your first reaction to the water guide going to the Olympic combine?
It felt a bit contradictory, after all, Director Shui rose to a higher stage, but her departure meant that our team lost its head coach and Director Pan (Pan Weimin) took over temporarily. Director Shui was the pillar of our team, and with her gone, we were more or less panicked and felt unsettled. However, it is difficult to balance the two, nevertheless, we are happy that she is leaving.
In an interview with Soccer Magazine, after the semi-final of the Games, you declared that you were the strongest center back, what was the context that made you say that?
That was the true flow of my heart, I just wanted to say what I wanted to say, I believe I am the strongest center back. I said that because I had thought long and hard before making that judgment, and I proved it with my performances. The experience of being in the national team over the years is well known. First of all, if I didn't have such strength myself, I must not have the courage and dare to say this; secondly, during my seven years in the national team, I have experienced many big competitions, including the Asian Games, the Asian Cup and the Final Four, where I was a starter, and I don't really care about what other people say and I'm not afraid of it.
FOOTBALL: You have stated that you felt depressed and kept the bench for two World Cups, but you are getting better and better now, and you have claimed that you are the strongest center back in the game.
Li Jiayue: I think it's okay, the previous experience is a kind of sharpening, through the setbacks, I have grown a lot. In fact, before I always felt that I was not mature enough to handle the ball, but in the past two years, I have grown up, and it's not just that I play how good I am, because all of us work hard and have our own strengths, and I just feel that now I am slightly more mature than before.
Where specifically?
On the field, I was better at handling some of the balls and dealing with some of the situations that came up in the game.
Your personality is very different from the traditional image of a Shanghai girl, is this a change from playing soccer?
No, I grew up with this personality, whether I play soccer or not, I'm just like that, it's not like my personality became like that because I played soccer.
But has your personality caused you some "setbacks" as you call them?
Yes, this personality did affect me a bit, but not in the way that outsiders say it did, but in the way that it affected my own racing and training. I'm not smooth enough and I probably make people think I'm a prick, so it makes others feel less comfortable. I was a starter in the national team before, but suddenly I wasn't a starter in the World Cup, so I probably didn't handle it very well mentally, and I was a substitute in both World Cups, and the second time I was fine, I didn't have too many mood swings, but the first time I did have a lot of mood swings.
How was it adjusted then?
It's tough, to be honest. It's a slump in form because you've been a starter before, but suddenly you can't play, your form is bound to suffer, and you're just all kinds of thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking, and your form is a mess, and you're drilling, and you're just all kinds of upset.
When did you walk out?
It's been a long time, six months or more than a year, I think. Of course, this experience has helped me, and it is with this experience that I have grown and matured.
Is it that personality that makes people think you're healthy on the field?
It's not character either, because you have to be healthy when you play soccer, even if you're delicate off the field. We have a lot of guys on the team that are delicate off the field, but are healthy when they get on the field.
How did you adjust it the second time?
The second time around the mentality is normal, I just think do your best. Because it's the coach's decision to use whoever he doesn't, there's no right or wrong, only need or no need. If the coach doesn't let me play, it must be because I'm not indispensable, it must be my own problem, I'll train hard to make myself stronger. In fact, I have been very happy in the national team, always work hard, no bad, unhappy.
I entered the national team in 2012, two times in and two times out, I have always tried to show the best of myself, to put my strongest strength on display, without hiding. In the national team, just like in the Shanghai team, I'm happy with my teammates, my character is here, no matter training or competition, there is nothing bad.
What do you think about your character?
I'm just straight forward, heartless, big-headed, and I think it's okay.
During this period, you posted a lot of videos in social media, such as a day in the life of an all-conference athlete and the income of a professional player, what was your original intention?
It is to let more people understand our players, because many people think that the National Games kicked off, get medals, got a lot of prize money, many people say that athletes are very earning money, think that athletes' life is very comfortable. I just want to tell you, all walks of life are very hard, behind the glitter and glamor of the payment, is many people can not afford. One minute on the stage, ten years of work under the stage, work has the pain of work, athletes also have the pain of athletes.
FOOTBALL: How was your physical condition after playing in the National Games?
Li Jiayue: It's not bad, it's just that the body is not very good in the first half of the Games, did a surgery, and the wound did not grow well.
So you played the game with an injury?
Yes, the wound hasn't grown back yet, and it's all bloody after the kicking game. But there's no way. No one goes up there unless I do. I have to go up there.
Tired?
Of course I'm tired, and I can't help being tired because I consume a lot every day, and my wounds aren't recovering very well, and they hurt all the time, but I have to keep training and keep competing.
Any more thoughts on the Nationals?
Yes, why not? Playing soccer is to enter the national team, to compete for the country, can not stay in the Shanghai team for the rest of your life. Kicked to this point, no matter what, I want to fight for the country, play the World Cup, the Olympic Games, the Asian Games, every girl who plays football has this idea, representing the national team to play international events, this is the highest honor.
What do you think of the strength of the current national team?
Now the results are not so good, the ranking in Asia is not very good, but I think the real strength of the Chinese women's soccer team, not as bad as the performance in the Tokyo Olympics, I think in Asia, the Chinese team is still able to make a difference, not worse than Japan, South Korea, able to fight, of course, depends on the play.
Don Chia-Li is now staying overseas and you've been to Korea, what do you have to say about her?
Definitely go for it, it's more boring abroad, a lot of different concepts of playing soccer, but I think it's normal, it's all about experience. In fact, whether in Korea or Europe, you will encounter such problems. The concepts are different and must be overcome, I think gold plating is quite good, many people want to go not necessarily have such an opportunity.
