China's women's soccer star Zhang Xin (right) shines in the Asian Cup.
Faced with the dilemma of having a baby and playing soccer, Zhang Xin resolutely chose the latter, showing her dedication to soccer.
In 2017, in her prime, Zhang Xin chose to retire to have a child, and two years later, she chose to return to the field and prove herself.
In February this year, Zhang Xin won the Asian Cup trophy with our women's soccer team. Back in the Women's Super League, she still maintains an efficient goal-scoring rate - she scored two goals in the second round against Henan.
The mother player, who plays for the Shanghai Agricultural and Commercial Bank Women's Soccer Team, has shown the world a whole new range of possibilities with her outstanding performances.
Zhang Xin scored two goals for Shanghai Women's Football Team in the second round of the Women's Super League against Henan.
Unexpected retirement, unexpected comeback
In 2017, Zhang Xin made her debut in the women's soccer final at the Tianjin National Games, where Shanghai won the national title with a 5-1 victory over the hosts.
During the game, Zhang Xin performed well, planning a goal and contributing an assist. However, right after such a great performance, at the age of 25, she made a surprising decision: to retire.
Shui Qingxia, then head coach of the Shanghai team, lamented her choice, but at the same time expressed understanding. In reality, being a professional player and a mother is often a choice that cannot be made both ways.
Zhang Xin expects to play until he's 35.
In 2018, the birth of her son turned player Xin Zhang into mother Xin Zhang. Practices, competitions, and interviews turned into breastfeeding, changing diapers, and putting people to bed. Day in and day out, this made the new mom, who was used to living in a group and sweating on the court every day, slightly uncomfortable.
"It was lonely at that time," was Zhang Xin's experience. So she started to look through the highlights and photos of her past soccer days - "I really missed it!" In the WeChat dialog box of the Shanghai team group, Zhang Xin's avatar was gradually seen again.
In that moment, it was Zhang Xin's uncle who noticed his niece's undiminished enthusiasm and delivered the advice, "If you really don't play, it's too sad for you."
In the end, Zhang Xin, like her initial sudden retirement from the game, made a decision that surprised the world once again - a comeback.
When she resolved to make a comeback in February 2019, her son was just over eight months old and had just been weaned.
The road to comeback is a difficult one
"It's hard, it's hard." This is now Zhang Xin's simple summary about her comeback journey, but it's clear that the truth can't be summarized in two simple words.
Mom player this concept, in the domestic women's soccer circle is not common, she herself also admitted that at the beginning of their own heart drums: "At that time, the heart is completely bottomless, did not think to be able to come back."
Recovery of body functions is the first and most difficult hurdle in front of Zhang Xin. From the weekly training competitions before retirement, each time no less than 10 kilometers of running, to the birth of a comprehensive recuperation, Zhang Xin's comeback is completely "cold start".
"I expected it to take at least five to six months (to recover), after all, I haven't moved a day since I retired." She told the surging news reporter, but in fact her recovery was faster than expected, and it was by sweat.
"In the middle and late stages of stretching for fitness, there was a time after a run when I realized that I couldn't land on both feet, that is, I couldn't keep my whole foot on the ground." Zhang Xin appreciates how difficult it is to make a comeback after giving birth, and it's a test that mom players need to pass.
"See, this is the price you have to pay." Shui Qingxia said. Hearing this, Zhang Xin smiled. In the days that followed, her efforts continued.
"Never thought of giving up, pining from the first day back on the team, dreaming several times that I was still on the field." The love of soccer in his bones inspired Zhang Xin's fighting spirit that had not been ignited for a long time.
"It dawned on me then that the laziness I used to steal was always going to come back to me now. Maybe I was born in better shape and my body could carry through the grind, and then it was much easier."
Zhang Xin represented our women's soccer team.
Mom Player, Top of Asia
"Mrs. Zhang, prepare to go on tomorrow." Shui Qingxia said.
It was only 2 months after Zhang Xin announced her comeback. Zhang Xin still remembers how she felt when she played her first game back. In that game, she gave an assist to help the team win.
And this is just the beginning of a whole new story.
In October 2019, Zhang Xin has returned to the national team training camp, and in the group stage of the February 2020 Olympic qualifying tournament, she offered a goal in her first game to help her team finish second in the group.
On April 8, 2021, in the first round of the Olympic qualifying playoffs in South Korea, it was again a back-breaking shot that helped our team break the deadlock on the field, and eventually took away a valuable 2-1 victory from the away field, and finally allowed our women's soccer team to get a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.
The Women's Asian Cup in February 2022 was the pinnacle of Zhang Xin's career. She provided the decisive assist against Japan in the semifinals, and then gave her teammates a great effort in the final to realize the dream of winning the championship.
After completing this glorious journey, China's women's soccer team was given a nearly one-month vacation, and during that time, in addition to the constant interviews and filming every day, one of the things Zhang Xin did most was to spend time with her family.
"Spent about ten days with my son, which is the longest time in the past two years, usually the holiday is only two or three days." After returning home, Zhang Xin realized that her son had grown taller again and his speech was better.
"He can say many things by himself, and will tell me what he wants to eat and what he wants to cook." Many times, Zhang Xin also feels homesick because she is far away from her son, and it is the help and support of her family that gives her the strongest backing, for which she is especially grateful.
Zhang Xin (left) and teammate Wang Frost.
More Responsibility, More Taking Charge
Now, Zhang Xin's son gradually knows his mother's work and can recognize Zhang Xin in front of the TV.
What made her even happier was that every time she took her child downstairs to play soccer, she realized that he seemed to have inherited his own talent - her son was better with the ball compared to the other kids.
Next month, Gemini Zhang Xin will celebrate her 30th birthday. "When I was young
