In the years of youthful dreaming, we will show our strength on the field again.
(November 13th, Sanshui District, Foshan, Guangdong) The 2023 "China Heritage Soccer Stars League" ended successfully. Fan Zhiyi, Peng Weiguo, Hu Zhijun, Wei Qun, Li Bing and other former A-League players returned to the green, once again arousing the enthusiasm of fans. This game, which carries deep emotions, is both unexpected and reasonable. Even though the old generation of international football stars have left us, but their love for Chinese soccer remains, that is the bright stars of Chinese soccer.
systematic innovation
Back in early 2012, retired famous player Peng Weiguo joined hands with Fan Zhiyi, Gao Feng, Wei Qun, Jiang Feng, etc. to organize AA Retired Players Tournament on their own initiative, and this event received positive response. The first AA Star Football Invitational Tournament was held in Yangcheng, and after 8 years, it has been successfully held in many cities in China for 8 times. During these 8 years, the A-League has grown from 6 teams to 12 teams, and its scale and influence have continued to rise. 2018, the A-League was included in the "People's Football" program by the CFA, and has become the most influential amateur soccer tournament in China.
After a three-year epidemic, the 2023 Lao A League has been upgraded to the "China Legacy Soccer Stars League", with a higher level of competition specifications. Compared to the previous eight editions, the biggest change in this year's league is the division of teams into the Super Group and Championship Group, and the introduction of a relegation mechanism. The Super Group includes six strong teams from Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Liaoning, Hubei and Sichuan, while the Champion Group includes six strong teams from Shandong, Shaanxi, Qingdao, Tianjin, Shenzhen and Guangxi.
The new system adopts the mode of "one up, one down", the last team in the Super Group is relegated to the Championship Group, while the top team in the Championship Group is eligible to "punch the super". This makes the game more competitive, more real, intense and exciting. Under the pressure of promotion and relegation, the players' commitment is also significantly increased, and it is no longer a simple "friendly game".
In the end, Beijing Old Boys topped the table with 10 points, followed by Liaoning Soccer Stars, with the former becoming the champion of the inaugural league by virtue of its two goal difference; while Tianjin Old A's managed to advance to the next Super Division with an undefeated record of four wins and one draw.
Veteran Style
The current Chinese soccer, the starlight is slightly dim, only a few stars such as Wu Lei. Compared to neighboring Japan and South Korea, Sun Xing, three, Jiubao Jianying and other famous players in the European top five leagues, and even become the core of the team and the main force. Chinese soccer seems to have been marginalized, the streets and lanes rarely see the former glory. However, in the old A era, to Fan Zhiyi, Sun Jihai, Yang Chen as the representative of Chinese players, strength and fame is not inferior to any opponent.
"The China Succession Soccer Stars League brings together more than 500 former stars, including nearly 100 former international players, and each team has a "big brand". Peng Weiguo, Shanghai Fan Zhiyi, Sichuan Wei Qun, Beijing Gao Feng, Tianjin Yu Genwei, etc., are all local soccer banners.
The first game on November 8, led by "Yangcheng Youth Coach" Zhou Guangan, Guangzhou Inheritance Stars team to face "Northeast Coach" Li Yingfa coached the Liaoning Football Stars team. This North-South matchup is known as the "North-South Tigers" fight by fans. A look at the lineups of the two teams is enough to make one's blood boil. In addition to Peng Weiguo, Hu Zhijun, Peng Weijun and other celebrities, the Guangzhou team also added Gao Lin, Lu Lin, Wu Wei'an and other "80s". The Liaoning team is committed to the defending champion, including Li Jinyu, Zhang Yonghai and other teammates from the Jianlibao youth team.
The Shanghai Old A-Stars are also strong, with former international players such as Xi Zhikang, Fan Zhiyi, Hu Yunfeng, Xiao Zhanbo, Zhu Qi, Cheng Liang, and younger players such as Sun Ji, Mao Jianqing, Wu Weichao, Rong Hao, Hu Zhaoyun, Huo Zhiyu, Zheng Kewei, and Zhao Zuoyun joining the team to give it more vigor. Had they not lost in the final round to Beijing, led by the fast horse Gao Feng, they would have probably won the championship.
Fan Zhiyi, who celebrated his 54th birthday, still looks good on the pitch. Talking about the game, he was full of emotion: "The charm and vitality of soccer lies in the inheritance. Even though we retired players are only involved in amateur games, we are also an integral part of Chinese soccer. If we can attract more people to participate in soccer, we may be able to look at the problems of Chinese soccer more objectively and rationally. Ultimately, soccer needs a cultural legacy. Guizhou's 'Village Super League' and Sanshui's 'La Liga' league are all manifestations of soccer culture. Regardless of the current state of Chinese soccer, more people still need to promote grassroots and grassroots soccer."
Above the stadium, the stars are glittering; outside the stadium, the fans are in tears. Some fans said that even though the stars on the field had passed their peak, witnessing their struggles on the field up close and personal revisited the youthful love of soccer. "What I felt was an eternal love."
Memories are full of memories and emotions remain the same. In the blink of an eye, 30 years have flicked by, the sideburns of the young wind chaser has appeared vicissitudes, but the blood, youth, dreams and glory have never changed. Perhaps this is the reason why people still love and miss soccer.
