In the absence of leadership attention, lack of pre-match solemn ceremonies, lack of luxury chartered aircraft, lack of generous bonuses, lack of star-rated accommodations, the national soccer team, which is labeled as "the most understated, the weakest" in the annals of soccer history, surprisingly turned back the "strongest ever" Thailand team with a score of 2-1, smashing the dominant football team in Southeast Asia. "The 30-year-old Wang Shangyuan, who came on as a substitute, scored the first goal of his national team career in his prime years. The old Evergrande player, who had been subjected to a lot of cynicism, finally raised his eyebrows. Looking back on Wang Shangyuan's soccer career, we have to mention two key turning points of courage.
Born in June 1993, Wang Shangyuan is just 30 years old, and similar to Gao Lin, his soccer journey began at Zheng Shanglu Primary School, a well-known soccer cradle in Henan Province. At that time, Wang's soccer talent and awareness surpassed that of his peers, and he quickly made a name for himself in the soccer world. In fact, when he chose to join the locomotive, it meant that his life after that would be closely linked to soccer. With the support of his family, he took the brave step. However, in 2008, the locomotive, known as the "Chinese Ajax", was disbanded, and Wang and his teammates became wanderers with no one to turn to. Fortunately, the High School Affiliated to the People's Congress lent a helping hand, allowing him to return to school and continue to pursue his soccer dream.
At NPC Central, Wang continued to utilize his soccer talents, and in 2011, he became the only non-professional player in the national youth team, making a splash at the Weifang Cup. Wang then joined Beijing Sanko to play in the China B League. In 21 matches, he scored 10 goals, attracting the attention of many domestic clubs. However, Wang Shangyuan chose a more difficult path - going to Europe for a trial.
Wang Shangyuan at the time, despite being only 20 years old, was not exceptional in terms of his soccer talent. There were many talented players in the 93rd age group in teams like Luneng and Zhejiang. According to common sense, it is not easy for Wang to play in the reserve team of the Chinese Super League, and it would be a great fortune if he could be promoted to the first team. However, he chose to bravely go abroad, looking for opportunities in Europe, submitting his resume and attending trials. In the end, he was signed by Belgian powerhouse Brugge, something he never expected.
However, the Europa League is not a straight path. In the 2013/14 season, Wang Shangyuan appeared in nine games for Brugge, scoring just one goal. The following season, 2014/15, he didn't get any chance to play. However, this experience added valuable experience to his career, and in early 2015, Wang Shangyuan terminated his contract with Brugge and joined then Chinese Super League giants Guangzhou Evergrande on a free.
At Evergrande, Wang Shangyuan also felt the pressure of the giants. he was lectured by Evergrande's big goalkeeper Zeng Cheng in a 2015 season match against Zhejiang Greentown after a defensive error nearly led to a goal being conceded. Poor performances and body image issues also made Evergrande fans taunt him, even rising to the level of personal attacks. The intolerable Wang Shangyuan also fought back, but his response seemed feeble.In June 2018, Wang made another brave decision to leave the well-paid Evergrande and join his hometown team Henan Jianye on loan. Here, he rediscovered the joy of soccer and helped the team successfully survive relegation.At the end of the 2018 season, Wang Shangyuan officially signed with Henan. In the following seasons, despite frequent coaching changes at Henan, Wang's position as a starter was always secure. After Xavier took over as coach, Wang took over the captain's armband from veteran captain Gu Cao and became the team's leader, earning the title "Wang Shangguan" for his leadership on the pitch.
His outstanding performances at club level brought Wang Shangyuan back into favor with the national team.In October 2019, he made his debut for the national football team.In 2021, Wang participated in the Top 12 of the Asian World Qualifiers with the national football team. Despite the fact that he did not get a chance to play, he remained relaxed, saying that this experience does not happen to everyone. This time, at the age of 30, Wang finally scored his first goal for the national soccer team, helping them win the World Qualifiers and enacting their own legend.
At the age of 20, he chose to go abroad on a trial basis, giving up the lucrative Evergrande offer to join his hometown's relegated team. Wang Shangyuan's two brave choices, any wrong step could have led to the break of his career, but he managed to walk through them both. This kind of courage is exactly the kind of challenge that young Chinese players lack. I hope Wang Shangyuan's success will give them a glimmer of inspiration and encouragement.
