In the Shaanxi National Games, Shanghai women's soccer team's glorious moment, 32-year-old Li Jiayue with a bold statement, stirred up countless discussions: "Even though the years have passed thirty two, but the faith is like iron, I firmly believe that I can outperform all the opponents. In the past, perhaps I did not mean what I said, but at this moment, standing on the final field, I am qualified to declare: I am the best center back of our women's soccer team."
"Thirty-two, at the height of his powers as a halfback."
Li Jiayue's declaration has won her wide acclaim, revealing the domineering, indomitable and climbing spirit that characterizes women's soccer. She, the woman known as "Jia" in both the team and the national team, is known for her toughness and persistence, and does what she says she will do. Whether in the Shanghai Women's Football Team or the National Team, she has won the respect of her teammates and fans as "Jia".
In the past year, Li Jiayue's performance was perfect. As the backbone of the Shanghai Women's Football Team, she led the team to achieve zero goals conceded in the Women's Super League. Not only that, her contribution in the offense is also not to be underestimated, becoming the key scoring point of the team's free kick attack. "In the past year, I scored seven or eight goals, I can't remember the exact number, but I should be the center back who scored the most goals."
Li Jiayue is an outspoken person. Although she is a regular on the national team, she has not been able to get a chance to play in the past two World Cups, which has been a source of regret for her. During the Shaanxi National Games, she said, "Eight years and no appearances in two World Cups, my heart is heavy and there is no moment to prove myself. I'm thirty-two years old, but like Su Bingtian said, thirty-two is not the end of the line, not the end of the line, who says that a girl can't play soccer when she's over thirty? We can fulfill our dreams just as well and do just as well as anyone."
During the Asian Cup, Shui Qingxia positioned Li Jiayue as the main center back. She not only has outstanding strength, but also has a fighting spirit, every time she goes on the field, she is a warrior who goes all out, becoming a spiritual model for all. In the documentary "Dreams on the Tip of the Foot", she once said: "Is an athlete still an athlete if he doesn't get injured? What can you do if you don't insist, the dream is not yet extinguished."
Li Jiayue has always fought on the court with this belief. During the Shaanxi National Games, she actually made an emergency comeback after having surgery. In the rain in Xi'an, she won victory after victory with the team. Only at the end of the game did tears mingle with the rain: "When you're on the court, you have to fight as hard as you can, and even if you die, you have to die on the court."
At thirty-two, although no longer young, Li Jiayue is at the peak of her willpower and experience, which is her secret to staying strong. It was at the age of thirty-two that she finally took the Asian Cup. "It's so exciting, I've been in the national team for ten years, I've played in several Asian Cups, and I finally got the title." She took to the internet to show off to her friends, "Look at this little trophy of mine, are you guys envious? You guys don't have it!"
The power of dreams and beliefs is immense. As she said, thirty-two is not the end, but perhaps a new beginning. Next year's World Cup in Australia may be able to make up for Li Jiayue's regret of not being able to play in the World Cup. She is confident: "Keep playing, thirty-two is the golden age of a center back."
"Women's soccer gets as much attention as men's."
If Zhao Lina is the team reporter of our women's soccer team, then Li Jiayue is the variety director of our women's soccer team.
After the Asian Cup, Li Jiayue made several videos to share some interesting team games. In an episode of "Pampering Challenge", Li Jiayue, who is known as "Jia" and never pampered, took the initiative to pamper his teammates such as Zhang Linyan and Li Ying, and his innate sense of humor and professional editing techniques made the fans laugh.
Like Zhao Lina, Li Jiayue also likes to share the daily life of female soccer players with her fans by means of videos in her daily life. She will answer various questions that fans are curious about from the perspective of a female soccer player, such as the salary of women's soccer, her own experience of staying abroad, and fitness tips, etc. She has attracted hundreds of thousands of fans on the Internet.
The purpose of doing so is also to make more people pay attention to and support women's soccer and understand it. She hopes that our women's soccer team will not attract wide attention only when they win the championship, but let more people understand the efforts that women soccer players put in for their dreams. "Let's pay more attention to women's soccer, don't forget about women's soccer after this wave of heat passes, and then remember again in the next wave of heat, let girls know more about women's soccer, women's soccer relies on each of us." Li Jiayue's idea is also the common voice of many women's soccer practitioners, "We can make women's soccer stronger and better, so that the results can enter the World Cup in the top five, the Olympic Games in the top five, I believe that China's women's soccer market and attention will not be lower than that of men's soccer."
"Every girl is an individual, each of us is uniquely beautiful, and we must live freely and passionately. Even if someone says you're not that beautiful, you're not that interesting, we must live freely and passionately." Li Jiayue has always hoped and believed that China's women's soccer team can return to the top, and that's what has motivated her all the way to this point.
