On July 21st in Beijing time, the Chinese women's soccer team is about to usher in their first opponent, Brazil, in the Olympic Games. The day before, the team opened the training course in Xianghe base, and head coach Jia Xiuquan faced the media for an in-depth communication. Jia Xiuquan also expressed his views on the widespread controversy over the women's soccer team's Olympic roster. Although he did not give a clear answer about the Olympic participation strategy, he emphasized that the Chinese team is not here to observe, "We are here to challenge."
Talking about the recent training, Jia Xiuquan revealed: "The intensity and volume of training has increased, especially the ability to convert offense and defense has been improved. Although there were many interruptions in training, we still overcame the difficulties. I hope that the players will be able to maximize their technical and tactical skills on the field in Tokyo."
On the choice of 22 players for the travelling list, Jia Xiuquan explained, "We have gone through the league with much deliberation to select the most suitable players from the list. They are not well-known, but they are perfect for the Olympic Games. They are not young players, we don't have any post-2000 players in our team, whereas Japan does. We have young players who are just coming into their own, and young players should be given a chance to participate in the tournament. They are the future of women's soccer, and since I'm in this position, I have to 'plant trees' for women's soccer and cultivate more talents, and it doesn't matter who picks the fruit. As for external expectations, it is better to follow the rules of soccer."
"The current players, including the new young players, they may not be as famous as the well-known players from the outside, but they are the most suitable for this Olympics." Jia Xiuquan said, "I give young players a chance, and I can take the blame for young players making mistakes, but I don't want players who have experienced big games to be unable to play properly at critical moments. For example, the second match against South Korea in Suzhou. I want the older players to be the soul, the core, the pillar. I don't want the veteran players to not know how to play soccer, and the training is not proportional to the game. Some of the older players are under a lot of pressure and think more than the younger players. We still need to give the young players some opportunities. Otherwise what about women's soccer? Immediately after the Asian Cup, the World Cup, Lou Jiahui, Ma Jun, they are not young? I'm in this position, this is what I should do, at least I left hope for the Chinese women's soccer team, and we will go all out in the Olympic Games. We are not spectators, we are competitors."
In response to the goal of the Olympic Games, a reporter asked Jia Xiuquan if he would take getting out of the group as his primary goal, and he asked rhetorically, "What goal do you think I should set? I think being able to participate in the Olympics is a success in itself. What I value most is their spirit on the field, and it's obvious at a glance that Chinese women's soccer can play soccer and have tactical skills, isn't that enough? The second match in Suzhou was a good result, but as a professional, I'm still not satisfied with the way the match went. What if I'm not satisfied? We have to find a way to improve."
