No leadership attention, no pre-match pomp, no private jets, no victory bonuses, no luxury hotels. However, this force, known as the team's history of the most low-profile, the weakest national soccer team, to 2-1 score against the wind overturned, once regarded as the strongest ever Thai team crushed, so that Southeast Asia's "tigers" turned into paper tigers. Wang Shangyuan came on as a substitute in the second half and scored his first goal for the national team at the age of 30. The old Evergrande player, who had been questioned and ridiculed by many, finally raised his eyebrows. Nowadays, when we look back on Wang Shangyuan's soccer career, there are two key moments that must be mentioned.
Wang Shangyuan, born in June 1993, is 30 years old and similar to Gao Lin, he started his soccer career at Zheng Shanglu Primary School, a well-known soccer school in Henan. At that time, Wang's soccer awareness and skills surpassed those of his peers, and he soon became a member of the prestigious Locomotive Association. In fact, when he chose to join the locomotive, it meant that Wang Shangyuan has been associated with soccer ever since, and with the support of his family, he bravely took the step. 2008, the locomotive association, which was known as the Ajax of China, was disbanded, and Wang Shangyuan and his teammates became the abandoned children. Fortunately, the People's Congress Affiliated High School lent a helping hand, allowing him to return to school and continue to pursue his soccer dreams.
At NPC Central, Wang continued to show his soccer talent, and in 2011, he became the only non-professional player in the national youth team, making a splash at the Weifang Cup. He then played for Beijing Sanco in the China B League, scoring 10 goals in 21 matches and attracting the attention of many domestic clubs. However, Wang Shangyuan chose the more difficult path, which was to go to Europe for a trial.
At the time, 93-year-old Wang Shangyuan was not the best of the soccer geniuses. Both Luneng and Zhejiang had many outstanding players born in 93. Normally, Wang would have been lucky to play in the reserve team of the Chinese Super League. To be promoted to the first team would be a great gift. However, he chose to bravely go abroad, submitting his resume and participating in trials in Europe. In the end, he was signed by Belgian giants Brugge, which he probably didn't even expect.
Of course, the Europa League is no easy task, and in the 2013/14 season, Wang only scored 1 goal in 9 matches in Brugge, including 1 goal in 7 games, and 2 Europa League matches with no goals. In the 2014/15 season, he even did not get any chance to play. However, this experience added to the success of his soccer career, and in early 2015, Wang released his contract with Brugge and moved on a free transfer to Guangzhou Evergrande, who were the Chinese Super League giants at the time.
In Guangzhou Evergrande, a star-studded team, Wang Shangyuan has also experienced what it means to be on the shoulders of giants. Most memorable for Evergrande fans was the match against Zhejiang Greentown in the 2015 season, where he was severely lectured by Evergrande's goalkeeper Zeng Cheng after his defensive errors nearly led to a goal being conceded. His poor performance and obviously fat body were also ridiculed and even physically attacked by Evergrande fans. Unable to stand it, Wang Shangyuan also fought back, but his counterattacks looked feeble. Due to his poor performance, his counterattacks also looked pale.
In June 2018, Wang Shangyuan once again made a brave decision. He left the well-paid Evergrande to join his hometown team Henan Jianye on loan. Here, Wang Shangyuan rediscovered the joy of soccer and helped the team successfully get relegated.After the 2018 season, he officially signed with Henan. Over the next few seasons, Henan changed coaches several times, but Wang's position as a starter was solid. When Javier took over, he took over the captain's armband from his old captain Gu Cao. By that year, he had shed his lead and become the leader of the team, and his commanding demeanor on the pitch earned him the title of "General Wang".
His outstanding performances at club level once again brought Wang Shangyuan to the attention of the national team.In October 2019, he made his debut for the national team.In 2021, he played with the national football team in the Asian World Preliminary Round 12 tournament. Although he didn't get a chance to play, he cherished the experience immensely, stating that not everyone gets to have this experience. This time, the 30-year-old Wang Shangyuan finally scored his first goal for the national soccer team, helping them win the World Qualifier. The 30-year-old veteran also performed his own legend.
At the age of 20, he took the plunge and tried out abroad, giving up the lucrative Evergrande deal to join his hometown's relegated team. Wang Shangyuan's two brave choices, either mistake could have destroyed his career, but he succeeded in both. This kind of courage is what young Chinese players lack. I hope Wang's success will bring them some inspiration and encouragement.
