Wu Lei, the proud son of the soccer field, once again embarked on the journey of the national football team after an absence of a year and a half. In this extraordinary time, he harvested countless cheers and praises. However, it is not well known that he has not been able to enjoy a complete vacation to recuperate for three and a half years due to his overseas wanderings. It is the dream that makes him firm, it is the persistence that makes him cherish.
By Liu Wenchao
In the late afternoon of June 17, the national football team's flight landed at Pudong Airport, a month later, Wu Lei once again returned to Shanghai. But unlike in the past, this time he still can't return home immediately. According to the plan, the whole team will go to Suzhou for isolation. Under the leadership of Li Tie, the Chinese team has achieved four consecutive victories in the past 30 days, successfully advancing to the Asian Zone Round of 12. The progress of the team and the atmosphere of the team have given people hope. Wu Lei, on the other hand, is undoubtedly the brightest light in this force.
"We really screwed up."
Wu Lei broke through in each of his four matches in the second phase of the World Qualifying 40, and concerns about whether he would have enough time to gel with the team dissipated from the first match against Guam. For a professional player to perform well on the field, not only individual ability is needed, but also good team support and atmosphere. This time back to China, Wu Lei's biggest feeling comes from this.
Oriental Sports: Let's look back at the tournament in flashbacks, how do you think the team was able to advance to the Top 12, how do you think you played individually and as a whole?
Wu Lei: To advance to the Top 12 with four consecutive victories, I think it is a successful completion of the task of the Top 40. There were many difficult parts in the process, originally we were playing at home, our mentality and morale were relatively high. In the first match against Guam, the home fans in Suzhou created a good atmosphere for us and everyone was full of confidence. However, when the match was transferred to the United Arab Emirates, the whole team was somewhat affected, so the coaching staff tried their best to reduce our pressure and help us adjust. After arriving in West Asia, although the climate and other aspects of the situation there are different from the domestic, but with the efforts of all the people, we adjusted our mentality better, since we are here, we will face it, in such an objective situation to be able to get back-to-back victories, I think it is still very successful, which can not be separated from all the people's efforts, including the logistical team, who did a lot of behind-the-scenes work.
Oriental Sports: You said before the match that this was your return to training and playing in the national soccer team after 18 months. From the situation on the field, you quickly integrated into the team, what do you think is the reason for such a performance?
Wu Lei: It's true that it's been a year and a half since I've been back home, let alone participated in the national team's training. Although this is the first time I returned to the national team after director Li took office, but most of the players in the team I am very familiar with, before all in the Chinese Super League played, there are a lot of people have been in the national team, so there is certainly no problem with the integration. In fact, I have a very good idea in my own heart, I have been playing in Europe in that kind of rhythm, don't have to worry about it at all, for me, there is no need to consider such a problem (bonding).
Oriental Sports: In the eyes of the outside world, you are the key man of the current national football team, so in your eyes, what kind of feeling does this team bring to you now?
Wu Lei: I said after the first game that we are a team, not relying on a single person, everyone is the best player. This time back to the biggest feeling is that the team atmosphere is completely different, the whole national team's sense of belonging is also different, under the stadium, the logistics team behind the scenes to do a lot of work, each training feel more ceremonial, such as the production of a lot of commemorative T-shirts, such as our room is placed in the image of the cartoon of each person and photo albums, which are all made to feel close to each other, so that a sense of ceremony so that everyone has a more sense of belonging to the team. Such a sense of ceremony makes everyone feel more belonging to the team. More importantly, I can clearly feel that the team is very united, everyone's ideas and goals are common, this unity is not only reflected in the field players, but also reflected in the bench players, staff and so on, which is the biggest change in my feelings, the most impressive point. Now, we are really screwed together, which is the most necessary and basic atmosphere of a good team, only with a good team atmosphere, we can do a good job of the things behind.
"The mentality is completely different after staying in the ocean."
The Chinese team successfully advanced to the 12 strong match, but the Chinese team up and down on this result to maintain a clear understanding. Victory is not proud, defeat is not discouraged is the basis for obtaining the results, and from the overall results of the other groups in the Asian region, the strength and weakness of Asian soccer, is not as clear-cut as in the past. Lebanon can force South Korea into danger, Australia against Jordan is not simple ...... All these realities, are forcing the Chinese team to constantly do better.
Oriental Sports: Are you confident in facing those stronger teams in the upcoming Round of 12?
Wu Lei: I feel that the pattern of soccer in Asia has been completely different from previous years, in the past we heard the Philippines, Maldives, etc., are like the traditional weak team, but in fact, from the process of view, including from the results of the other groups and the process of view, are showing such a message, that is, the Asian soccer may also be the same as the European soccer, there are not too many obvious strong and weak points, even if it is against some traditional Even against some traditional weak teams, the strong team to win is not much easier, so it is still necessary to look at it rationally. Even though we won 5-0 against Maldives, I said after the game that if they continue to work hard to improve according to the current method, they will surely be able to have a very good performance and results in a few years' time. Every team is improving and working in the direction that suits them, including Vietnam, Lebanon, etc. This creates a situation where some traditionally strong teams are also prone to dropping points against weaker teams. So after entering the Top 12, I feel that all are possible, although we can not be considered a first-class team in Asia now, but as long as we do our best to play at their own level, in the Asian range, any team to win us, it is not so simple.
Oriental Sports: Throughout these four games, many people's eyes Wu Lei, embodies a certain degree of self-confidence and calm, do you think the reason for these changes to you, is it from staying in the ocean to accumulate the improvement?
Wu Lei: In the two and a half years abroad, more or less there will be a certain improvement, which is in fact all-round, not only on the field, I will actually go to observe how foreign clubs operate, big clubs have big clubs of the mode of operation, the small clubs have small clubs of the mode of survival, so I am equivalent to all-round learning and understanding, in fact, many aspects of China's national football team have a big In fact, many aspects are very useful for China's national soccer team to learn from. As for the pitch is more important, or the rhythm of the European soccer exercise and the rhythm of the game, we can see, indeed to be much faster than the Chinese Super League, I went out to do a lot of preparation to face the difficulties, I also encountered a trough, but still insist, as far as possible to stand firm, to adapt. After these two and a half years, I think the most important improvement is in the self-confidence, through the usual training, the accumulation of the game, and then back to the national team to play at the Asian level!
