A shot from Gen Wei sealed the deal as the Chinese men's soccer team beat Oman 1-0, locking up a spot in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup two rounds ahead of schedule. This is not only the first time in the history of the national football team, but also so far the only time to be among the final round of the World Cup.
Time flies, when the Qatar World Cup flame ignited, the national football team once again become a spectator. When the soccer feast is once again in the eyes, let's review the Chinese men's soccer team that has stepped into the World Cup hall.
Tracing the footsteps of the World Cup, the dream of 2022, echoing the glory of 2002.
By Zheng Hao in Jinan, POPULAR - Poster News.
He, full of honor, but do not know how to tell. Nowadays, when people mention the elegance of Wu Lei and other rising stars, his name always comes to mind. As the first Chinese player to score a goal in the Europa League, his name resonates everywhere. 2002, he played in the World Cup with the national team, and 16 years later, he reappeared as a commentator - he is Yang Chen.
Debut on the World Stage
Shooting, the soul of a striker
In the final game of the 1998-1999 Bundesliga season, Eintracht Frankfurt, where Yang Chen played, faced Kaiserslautern. At that time, Eintracht Frankfurt was in the relegation zone and was in a precarious situation. In a shot, Yang Chen's shot was like a cannonball straight at Kaiserslautern's goalkeeper Rheinke, who subconsciously dodged it, but couldn't avoid the speed of the ball, and scored a goal for Frankfurt to blow the relegation horn. 5-1, Yang Chen led the team to successfully "go ashore".
"I remember that Chinese striker, Asian players are not very common in the Bundesliga." Former Germany national team captain Ballack was full of praise for Yang Chen.
Yang Chen's performance in the 2002 World Cup final in Korea-Japan went far beyond the Europa League. His cushioned shot that hit the Turkish goalpost was a reminder of the former striker. "Football is like that, and regrets sometimes have value. People may look back with regret, but that's soccer, and winning or losing is often just a millimeter away." Years later, Yang Chen seems extraordinarily calm.
Yang Chen at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, both in Frankfurt and the World Cup, let the "successful" Yang Chen Chen shine.
Returning to the World Cup
Successful debut in 2018
After his retirement in 2008, although Yang Chen has not stayed away from soccer, he has appeared less and less in the public eye. Soccer commentator has become his new identity.
"A lad when watching soccer, a comrade in arms when playing soccer, and now a partner when commentating." At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Yang Chen set foot in Russia as a CCTV commentator. Although it did not cause a sensation, his commentary won the audience's recognition - professional but not without humor, complementing the style of his partner Zeng Kan.
"When a Spanish player carries the ball, he looks at all the people, and when he looks up to pass the ball, he still looks at the people." Four years ago, in the face of Spain and Russia's Barrel Formation, Yang Chen used "vernacular" to explain to the audience what is the Barrel Formation. Although Yang Chen's title has a former national footballer, but his commentary style is a bit "unprofessional".
This is exactly what Yang Chen seeks, because he knows that the professionals' judgment of the team's playing style will make the fans have a deeper understanding of soccer, but it is not easy and will be a barrier to communication between the two sides. "My task is to explain the strategy in the simplest words, and I hope that by watching the World Cup, I can make the fans have a deeper understanding of soccer and communicate with them in front of the TV." Yang Chen said.
