The Legend of the Football Mecca
When it comes to the national football team's lucky place in the country, the one that often comes to the mind of many fans is Changsha's He Long Sports Center. Since their first 2-2 draw with Costa Rica in 2005, the national soccer team has been unbeaten in Changsha for a staggering 19 years. This certainly proves that the He Long Sports Center is a truly lucky place for the national football team. In the past 14 years, the national soccer team has hosted 9 international A-level matches here, including World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers, as well as friendlies, with a record of 5 wins, 4 draws, 23 goals scored and only 6 conceded.
Two matches stand out in this saga. One of those heroes was Yu Dabao, who helped the national soccer team beat Iraq in the 2013 Asian qualifiers in the pouring rain, and Yu Dabao, who led the national soccer team to a 1:0 victory against arch-rivals South Korea in the 2017 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Lippi's first victory after coaching the national team, and only the second time that the national soccer team has beaten South Korea in an international A-Level tournament. It's a game that still makes fans proud, and it's worth noting that that national team was made up entirely of homegrown players, with no naturalized players. They beat South Korea on their own merits at the Heron Sports Center.
Flaming Fans
At the Changsha Herong Sports Center, the passion of the fans was an important part of the game. Whether it was local fans or spectators from all over the world, they cheered for the national soccer team here, and that passion infected every fan on the field and in front of the TV. Especially in the match against South Korea in the rain, the cheers of the fans echoed in the stadium, and the passion even crossed the screen.
Is it possible that such a welcoming city could be one of the home stadiums for the national soccer team's assault on the Top 18? What are your thoughts, fans?
