The sixth round of the Chinese Super League focus game: Shanghai seaport 4-3 narrowly defeated Shandong Taishan, Wu Lei double Xie Lijun became the first female referee
In the sixth round of the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Harbour Team fought against Shandong Taishan at home. In the end, with striker Wu Lei's second goal, Shanghai Harbour Team won 4-3 against Taishan. It is worth mentioning that the second assistant referee of the match was international referee Xie Lijun, who became the first female referee to appear in the Chinese Super League.
Xie Lijun, as one of the leading female referees in China, has been involved in the enforcement of the 2023 Women's World Cup and the final of the 2024 Women's Asian Youth Football Championship, and has been highly evaluated by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Becoming the first female referee to enforce the Chinese Super League is a great recognition of her refereeing level.
After the match, Xie Lijun said, "I travel to Chengdu Rongcheng's home ground from time to time to watch the matches. Before this match, I watched the video of the match between Taishan and Seaport and analyzed the tactical style of both sides. Men's soccer is fundamentally different from women's soccer and I have to be ready for this pre-launch. In fact, I have already prepared for my health condition.
After the first match, Xie Lijun said confidently, "Although I felt a little nervous before the match, once the whistle blew, my whole attention was focused on the game. I believe I have made a new start and the road ahead will be clearer. I am confident of getting 7.5 points in my first Super League match."
Xie Lijun also mentioned, "The technical and tactical level of the Chinese Super League is more mature, and the prediction of fouls and techniques during the game may be more intuitive than in women's soccer.
In this game, Xie Lijun's partner is the "Golden Whistle" of the Chinese Super League, Ma Ning, who is also a top domestic referee. Talking about the communication between the two before the game, Xie Lijun said: "I had communication with Mr. Ma. I told him that this was my first men's soccer match and that I would be a bit nervous. He reassured me that there was no need to worry too much and that I should just treat the match as normal. With his encouragement, I gained more confidence and he gave me great support and encouragement."
