In the late afternoon of July 22nd, 2023, with fans eagerly awaiting China's women's national team's first World Cup group stage match, a joyful and relaxed women's soccer event unfolded in Tongzhou, Beijing - 20 women's soccer teams initiated by Beijing Universities, corporations, and the social circle gathered at the "Shengkai Arena" to show off their skills in this 3V3 street soccer tournament in Beijing. Twenty women's soccer teams, initiated by Peking University, corporations and social circles, gathered at the "Blooming Arena" to show off their skills in this 3V3 street women's soccer tournament in Beijing. After a fierce competition, Beijing Normal University's "The So-Called Team" came out on top and won the championship.
At the end of the tournament, an event themed "Cheer for China Women's Football" was launched at the same venue. Players and spectators gathered in front of the big screen to witness the exciting match between the Chinese women's soccer team and Denmark, and the atmosphere was instantly ignited.
The "Blooming Arena" is the first 3V3 street women's soccer tournament in China, created by the Football Association's Ford Bao Company. As the second stop after Hangzhou, the Beijing stop coincided with the first match of the Chinese Women's World Cup. The tournament was supported by official sponsors and venues such as Ping An of China, Yibao, Mengniu, China Sports Cards, Houde Collection, Yanjing Beer, JiuJiuYa, etc., making it an important platform for the promotion of women's soccer.
In recent years, more and more women have taken up soccer. Such folk soccer tournaments echo national team matches, vividly illustrating the value and significance of women's soccer.
The event was filled with a strong grounding atmosphere. Passersby in the shopping center were instantly transformed into passionate fans.
Since noon, the Aegean Sea Shopping Park in Tongzhou, Beijing, has been transformed. 20 women's soccer teams from Beijing's colleges, universities, enterprises and friends were attracted to the temporary soccer field on the B1 floor. On one side of the playing field was a big screen showing a live broadcast of the Women's World Cup, and on the other side were stepped bleachers. The audience was infected by the joy of the girls playing soccer and stopped to watch.
The 20 teams participating in the competition were divided into four groups, each with their own characteristics. For example, Group A includes Team Metro, Ravens and Blanket Netizens; Group B includes ACE and Beijing Tongren Association; Group C includes Infinite Black and Cooler Netizens; and Group D includes Star Empty and Full Circle Women's Soccer.
According to the system, the winner of the group and the second place of the two groups with the best results advance to the final. Unfortunately, "Unknown Snail" could not join hands with "Unknown Shell" to enter the finals, and "Blanket Netizen" and "Mat Netizen The "Blanket Netizens" and "Mat Netizens" also made an early exit. In the end, "Team Du" won the championship by defeating "Doctor Who" in the final.
After the game, one player said, "I'm happy today. The result doesn't matter, the important thing is to see everyone so happy."
The competition was packed with spectators on the steps and onlookers on the upper level. The participants had very different styles, with different hairstyles, body shapes, technical moves and game temperaments. Everyone was infected by the joy of the girls playing soccer and willing to stay a little longer. Many parents came with their children to watch the game, a picture of everyday life that undoubtedly plays a positive role in the promotion of soccer.
In order to make the tournament more interesting, a lively venue and game system were arranged. Although the tournament is officially organized, the "Blooming Arena" is filled with a light-hearted atmosphere, aiming to promote soccer among the female population and make the sport cute and fun.
In our country, there are some perceived misconceptions about the popularity of soccer. The original purpose of organizing this competition is to break down the misconceptions, free from the constraints and reinvent soccer. The values of Bloom Arena lie in inclusiveness, diversity and openness, as expressed in its slogan: "Free to bloom, not to be defined".
In order to reflect the new features and trends of women's football and to attract more girls to join the sport, the organizers have done a lot of work on the match scenes and system. For example, the Beijing match was played in a crowded weekend shopping mall, and there were various markets, the Women's Asian Cup trophy, DIY exclusive women's soccer cultural shirts, and on-site coloring next to the temporary stadium to cheer for the girls who play...
This environment not only attracts the attention of participants, but also allows the game to be played in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The day coincided with an important match of the Chinese women's soccer team, which complemented the atmosphere of the women's soccer team by integrating passers-by into it. Indeed, soccer should go beyond the stadium and integrate into life. Many people are willing to play soccer in parks, business districts, streets, attractions and even basketball courts. The "stadium" should be everywhere.
In order to enhance the participation of each team, the "Blooming Arena" has established a very lively competition system. Compared to the elimination system, the Golden Ball, Defense and Wheel systems allow teams more opportunities to learn from each other, and the girls have a stronger sense of involvement in the field.
This is the purest appeal of a soccer player and should not be bound by a number of factors such as the field. It's a blessing for everyone with a low threshold.
Sponsors work together to create a "second field" for women's soccer.
Because of the Chinese women's soccer game that night, many people also came to the "second field". Getting together to watch the Women's World Cup is naturally different from watching women's soccer alone at home.
In order to create an atmosphere for fans to gather, sponsors set up a "creative market" next to the stadium. Sponsors such as Yibao Drinking Water, Mengniu Dairy, China Sports Card, Houde Collection, Yanjing Beer and JiuJiuYa set up booths and provided various entertainment programs for fans. Ping An of China also arranged race insurance for players in the "Blooming Arena".
Of course, the most striking feature of the site was the Asian Cup trophy next to the Creative Market. The Chinese women's soccer team turned back Japan and South Korea to win a title that excited the Chinese at the 2022 Asian Cup. Many fans were on hand to take photos with the trophy, showing the huge popularity of the Chinese women's soccer team.
After the final of the "Blooming Arena", the players and many spectators stayed on the ladder and watched the first match of the World Cup group stage of the Chinese women's soccer team against Denmark on the big screen. Famous Chinese women's soccer players Zhang Honghong and Liu Ying came to cheer for the Chinese team.
The warmth of the scene infected many passersby in the mall. When Denmark scored, the crowd immediately remained silent. Wang Shuang's free kick in extra time hit the post and rebounded into the center of the field, and the crowd suddenly erupted into cheers, thinking the goal had been scored. In terms of crowd engagement, the "second leg" was as good as any match away from Perth!
Everyone felt sorry for the loss of the women's soccer team, but also witnessed the tears of the water coaches and the efforts of the girls in the world tournament, and everyone was proud of them. In the next two group matches, the Chinese women's soccer team's "second game" will also take place on the M level of the Aegean Shopping Park in Tongzhou, Beijing, and continue to cheer on the women's soccer girls on their journey.
