Women’s Soccer – Goddesses！
Zhang Sanjian 2022-02-07 18:00
On February 6, 2022, in the Asian Cup final, the Chinese women’s soccer team staged a remarkable comeback with a 3-2 victory over the South Korean women’s soccer team, clinching the championship! The entire nation is elated! We are proud and filled with pride for the Chinese women’s soccer team. At this moment, all Chinese people hold their heads high, and our footsteps shine brightly as we celebrate together!
Mom told me that she used to really enjoy watching soccer matches when she was young. She believed that the charm of soccer lies in the wonder that the movement of this black and white ball can stir the emotions of tens of thousands of spectators at the stadium and all the fans in front of their TVs, computers, and phones. (A game that is asSOCiated with the rhythm of your heartbeat – SOCCER⚽). When the ball is kicked near the goal, whether it goes into the goal or misses, joy and delight, disappointment and despair, all happen in a fleeting moment. That thrilling moment can stretch your nerves to the point of almost breaking.
Mom said that when watching a game, you must choose a side to support between the two teams. This way, you can enjoy the game with passion and emotion. Otherwise, if you have no preference for either team, it won’t be as engaging, and you might as well not watch. She mentioned that when she was young, she used to stay up all night on the couch to watch soccer matches. She told me that when I was very young, her excited shouts while watching games would often startle me, and I would cry loudly. Unfortunately, her passion for soccer didn’t rub off on me…
I once sat in the middle of the living room on a small stool during the night of the 2006 FIFA World Cup final in Germany, watching the game on our tiny TV. What I got after waiting all night was a bunch of mosquito bites on my legs, enduring over ninety minutes of the match, and then using my hands to keep my eyelids open to watch the penalty shootout in the end.
Although I had some exposure to both soccer and basketball during my childhood, I ultimately chose basketball for several reasons:
1. There were more NBA game broadcasts on television, and we often rushed to the cafeteria during the break after the second class to watch the games. Sometimes, we couldn’t even move from our seats during the NBA Finals. (Of course, skipping classes is not a good practice, and I hope students who are still in school don’t follow this example.)
2. There were more basketball courts in the school, allowing us to play casually or compete in teams. There were multiple basketball courts to choose from near my home or in the vicinity.
3. In a soccer game, there might not be a single goal, but basketball was different. When you had a good shooting touch, you could score freely.
4. Of course, an essential factor is that I have many friends to play basketball together.
Last night, I watched the game with my mom. The Chinese women’s soccer team, trailing by 2 goals, staged a comeback and achieved a thrilling victory with a score of 3-2 against the South Korean women’s soccer team! The entire process was exceptionally challenging, but the result was incredibly perfect. When we saw the players hugging and shedding tears, when the commentator excitedly narrated the game, when the players repeatedly threw their coach, Shui Qingxia, into the air in celebration, the joy of victory filled the hearts of my mom and me. Without any restraint, we shouted loudly and waved our clenched fists. We repeated “Chinese women’s soccer is amazing!” over and over again.
My mother was immersed in the various emotional states of tension, excitement, enthusiasm, and joy during the soccer game. I felt like I saw my mother’s younger self. I never participated in her younger days, and now I see her only in her older state. It’s a bit poignant in my heart. Watching the women’s soccer game together with my mom might be a belated compensation and a warm companionship to her. It allowed me to experience the joy of women’s soccer victory with her, to feel the glory of women’s soccer bringing honor to the country, and to share the pride and pride of being Chinese together!
I once watched a video of 32-year-old Rooney in a match where, in the 95th minute, he sprinted 60 meters, made a sliding tackle to steal the ball, got back up, and delivered an assist for a game-winning goal to his teammate. In those short twenty seconds, with his stamina nearly depleted, he still managed to complete the assist seamlessly. Throughout the video, there was a phrase, “Never give up.”
This is the spirit of competitive sports, and it’s also the spirit of the Chinese women’s soccer team! In the 93rd minute, number 20 Xiao Yuyi burst into the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot that pierced the Korean team’s goal. Until the very last moment, they never gave up.
The competition between countries is reflected through various aspects such as military, technology, sports, education, and more. Striving for national glory and becoming a sporting powerhouse are also goals that we, the Chinese people, work towards. Chinese athletes give their all on the field, raising the bright five-starred red flag countless times on the international sports stage, across all five continents. The spirit of these athletes inspires us in various fields to love our country, contribute, and shine brightly, taking concrete actions to contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
My motherland, the homeland where I was born and raised, I love you just like I love my mother. It’s something that cannot be changed. Patriotism is ingrained in our bones and runs in our veins. No matter where we go, we cannot change our Chinese heart!
