Since the 1957 World Cup qualifiers, China, a country with nearly a quarter of the world's population, has embarked on a dream that it has been pursuing for 44 years. The fact that the most populous country is unable to prove itself in a world number one sport is something that some people can't figure out.

Wang Dawei, [***] Xiang, Kong Wenbin, Zhao Yixing, Schlapner, Li Jisheng...... One name after another is associated with this dream. New Zealand and Saudi match-fixing, 5.19 incident, black three minutes, Golden State does not believe in tears...... These old photos of history are the course of China's impact on the World Cup for 44 years. Along the way, there has never been a shortage of hardships and thorns, but flowers and beautiful scenery have never appeared. Along the way, several generations of Chinese footballers have shed blood, sweat, and tears, but they have not seen the light of day. Along the way, many people were cold, their tears dried up, they fell down and never got up, and many people joined in, rain or shine, unswerving.

I saw the low-hanging national flag in the stands again and again, and the fans who washed their faces with tears. I fell again and again, but when I looked up, I saw nothing but darkness. I know that sometimes dreams can be so cruel.

Along the way, there is always a group of people rushing to the front, the thorns under their feet cut the soles of their feet, the dark night does not know the direction, the bumpy road makes them fall again and again, they fall, and then another group of people take the flag, rush to the front, they fall, and then a group of people pick up the flag, charge, and do not stop......

In 2001, there was another group of people carrying the flag and continuing this dream.

Four years of reincarnation, a full forty-four years......

In the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, because of the co-hosting of South Korea, China's opponents in Asia suddenly lost two, and only Saudi Arabia and Iran remained. In the round of 10 draws, another draw was made: China, as the second seed, will definitely avoid one of Iran and Saudi Arabia. But the results of the grouping did avoid all of them, and Saudi Arabia and Iran were placed in Group A and killed each other. In such a good situation, the only question left is whether the Chinese national team led by Milu can change the decline of previous years and fight a bloody road to South Korea from Group B.

Even in the face of a weak team, the Chinese people are very uneasy, because the Chinese team has always had a "fine tradition" of "capsizing in the gutter". In addition, the Chinese team's performance in the group stage of the qualifiers was unsatisfactory, and they lost to North Korea, which had not participated in international competitions for a long time, at the Four Nations Invitational Tournament in Shanghai! This is unforgivable in the eyes of the Chinese people, coupled with the "bombardment" incident in the qualifiers, all these things make the already pessimistic Chinese people even more pessimistic.

On August 25, 2001, the Chinese team faced the first opponent of the top 10 matches, the United Arab Emirates, at the home stadium of Shenyang Wulihe Stadium. Just 3 minutes into the game, the Chinese team gave the fans a big surprise, the Chinese team's No. 10 Haidong burst into the penalty area and crossed, No. 20 Yang Guang dangled a shot in front of the point, and the midfielder No. 18 Li Peng, who followed up in the middle, easily pushed the ball into the empty goal!

The ball is in! 1：0！

Wulihe was suddenly jubilant, and all kinds of uneasy speculations and worries before the game were dissipated by this kick.

Then, the Chinese team began its glorious journey in the top 10.

On August 25, the home team defeated the United Arab Emirates 3-0.

On August 31, they beat Oman 2-0 away.

On September 7, facing Qatar, the strongest opponent in the group, the away team, after falling behind by one goal in the first half, the score was equalized in the last minute and got a perfect point 1:1.

On September 15, the home team defeated the Central Asian wolf Uzbekistan 2:0.

On September 27, it defeated the United Arab Emirates 1-0 away.

So far, the Chinese team has 13 points and is already at the top of the standings, basically qualified. But fans across the country are still waiting, waiting for an official coronation. On October 7, 2001, the Chinese pair returned to their home stadium from the United Arab Emirates, and on this day it was natural that the Chinese team selected by the fans entered the World Cup.

On October 7, 2001, the Chinese team faced Oman, the weakest opponent in Group B, at home.

The tiring military training is finally over, the National Day holiday is so long that people have nothing to do, Zhang Jun, Yang Pan and Sophie run to the center of Hefei every day, there is no need to buy anything, mainly to kill time, the first arrival, and military training for a month, I don't know what fun places are nearby. Then there is the call to the brothers in the dormitory to play football. China's qualifying situation is very good, and there have been a lot of players recently, although it is a holiday, but if you go late, there is no venue.

On October 7th, everyone stayed in the cafeteria after eating, and wherever there was a TV, it was overcrowded, Zhang Jun and they had the foresight to come to the canteen an hour in advance to wait, so as to avoid the trouble of not being able to see the image and hear the sound behind the vast sea of people.

After the start of the game, everyone's emotions were quickly mobilized, the Chinese team kept applauding when attacking, the Chinese team slapped the table and scolded the mother when it made a mistake, and if Oman fouled, he kept booing, except that he couldn't run around with the flag, everything was the same as the scene.

Zhang Jun has this feeling, in this game, there are one billion fans in the stands of Wulihe in Shenyang. With such a huge number of fans in a game, only the Chinese team in the world can do it. Although he is angry and mourns his misfortune, as a Chinese and Chinese fan, is it reasonable not to support the Chinese team? So no matter how much I usually hear cursing Chinese football, when it comes to a key battle like the top ten, the Chinese team has never lacked fans!

The game was a little dull, perhaps because of the huge psychological pressure of qualifying, the national football team couldn't let go, and Oman used practical actions to prove what they said before the game: "We are not here to be a foil for other people's banquets!" "They're here to stir things up.

The game went on for 30 minutes and the score was still tied 0-0. At this time, the pessimism quietly returned to the hearts of the fans watching the game. There are too many examples of the Chinese team always dropping the chain at critical moments, watching the international players on the field make mistakes and attack unsuccessfully, the fans also began to get uneasy, Zhang Jun can already hear someone sighing and saying no, he felt a sharp pain in his arm, turned his head to look, it turned out to be Sophie, who had been grabbing his arm, pinched it, she stared at the TV screen, but her hand was tightly pinching Zhang Jun's arm, and her lips were pale.

The Chinese team lost another chance to score. The fans in the stands of Wulihe Stadium have begun to sing "My Motherland" to cheer for the Chinese team.

"The five-star red flag is fluttering in the wind! How loud the victory song is! Sing about our beloved Motherland! From now on, we will be prosperous and strong! ……”

Yang Pan's emotions were more excited, as soon as the Chinese team made a mistake, he scolded his mother, relatively speaking, Zhang Jun just watched quietly, only his hands were tight.

Zhang Jun remembers that time clearly. In the 35th minute, the Chinese team sent a throw-in from the left side, and No. 9 Ma Tian knocked it back to Li Yi. Li Yi kicked the ball wide to the right of the Oman team. No. 18 Li Peng's header was ferried, and Haidong, who was ambushed in front of the Omani team's small penalty area, headed back again. No. 11 Yu Weimin and No. 20 Yang Guang formed a double ghost slap in front of the goal, and Yu Weimin took the first step to shoot the ball in!

1：0！

The ball is in!

At that moment, in Wulihe, Shenyang, in a campus in Hefei, Anhui, in Yanjing, in Shanghai...... Across the country, like a volcanic eruption that had been silent for a long time, everyone jumped up, waved their arms, and shouted loudly.

"Entered!"

"Qualifying!"

"We won!"

"Qualify! It's out! ”

……

Yu Weimin was the substitute for the suspended Hao Hong as the front midfielder, and he scored the only goal in the top 10, and also scored the most important goal in the 44-year history of the Chinese team! This goal is also the most exciting goal of the Chinese team in the top 10. A total of 7 players participated in the attack, and the success rate of passing and receiving the ball was unprecedented! When he scored the football into the Omani goal, Chinese football had never been so proud!

For the rest of the game, Oman fought back with all their might, but the Chinese team, who had taken the lead, performed very calmly, and they did not give Oman a chance until the final whistle.

After three whistles, the Wuli River became a sea of revelry, fans, reporters, players, coaches...... Swarming in. The players of the team held high the national flag and greeted the fans. The people in the cafeteria also became excited, Zhang Jun still didn't scream like the others, he just sat on the chair and continued to watch the TV broadcast, and the joy after the victory should be savored to make it more flavorful.

When Zhang Jun saw the veteran of the national team, the central defender No. 5 Fan Qiang, wearing the national flag, squatting on the ground to hide his face and crying, his eyes were also a little moist. A thirty-year-old man cried like this in front of the camera and in front of the national audience, just crying with joy? The defeat to Abu Dhabi in 1993 and the drizzling Golden State in 1997 resulted in a penalty and a fatal mistake...... Eight years! How many eight years can a professional player have? Thirty years old! How many thirty years can a person have? From the top scorer in the league that year to the veteran of the three dynasties in the national team, he has experienced more than others and has deep feelings, so he can't cry in public! What could be more shocking than a big man who has gone through vicissitudes of life crying?

Playing football since childhood, football brings me the most happiness, and today, in the joy of China's qualification, Zhang Jun deeply feels the cruel side of football. Fan Qiang is lucky, at the end of his career, he can still go to the World Cup to realize his dream. But how many people are so lucky on the road to China's impact? For the dream of a World Cup, how many people have changed from a rampant teenager to a white-haired old man, and only today is what we are today. But how many of those who were the first to hit and those who witnessed it were able to see the day with their own eyes? What about seeing Fan Qiang's tears?

And on this day, at this moment, at the scene, in front of the TV, how many big men are crying like him?

When New China was first founded, Marshal He Long, who was mainly engaged in sports, once said: "If the three major balls do not rush out of Asia, I will not be blind to death!" "Basketball and volleyball have gone out one after another, but football is standing still, and today he can finally look at it.

In another four years, who will stand on this green field and continue this dream? If football doesn't stop spinning for a day, it won't wake up from this dream for a day.

There is no end to life, but there is no end to dreams......

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