Champion’s Heart

The media calling this Olympic team the strongest Olympic team in history is not blind flattery. Because this Olympic team is actually very strong in terms of player strength.

Looking at the players, they have five outstanding overseas players, which is the key to why they are the strongest in history.

Zhou Yi plays for Dortmund and is the absolute core of the team.

Sun Pan performed well at Atletico Madrid and became the main goalkeeper of Atletico Madrid.

Yang Muge, the main midfielder of Schalke 04.

Siena's defense backbone Guo Nu.

He Ying, Valladolid's main striker and the silver-shoe striker of the Spanish Second Division, helped Valladolid achieve promotion in the end.

These five people are all absolute main players in their respective clubs, which is very rare among previous overseas players. In the past, when Chinese players studied abroad, being able to play as a rotation player in their club was considered the highest achievement, and being able to play as a substitute was considered good. But these five people are all the main players. The five of them account for half of this Olympic team.

In addition, the Olympic team also includes outstanding young players in China such as Wang Dalei, Wu Lei, and Zhang Linpeng. They are also main players in their respective clubs and have been trained in professional leagues for a long time.

Before this National Olympic team, the strongest National Olympic team in history was the team led by Xu Genbao in 1992. Although that team eventually suffered a black three-minute loss and missed the Barcelona Olympics, that team finally emerged. Many stars, Hao Dong and Fan Zhiyi were well-deserved Asia's best in their respective positions. In addition to the two of them, Li Bin, Peng Weiguo, Xu Hong, Jiang Jing, and Hu Zhijun were also stars in the early days of the League One.

But even in that team at that time, no one could play the main role or even become the core of the teams in the five major European leagues.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that this current National Olympic team is the strongest National Olympic team in history. It is truly deserved.

The Chinese Olympic team took the time to visit the Great Hall of the People on July 10. This was also the first time Zhou Yi and the others entered the Great Hall of the People in order to participate in the founding meeting of the Chinese Olympic Sports Delegation.

Except for 1988 and 2008, the founding ceremonies of previous Olympic delegations have nothing to do with the Chinese men's football team. Compared with those famous players who have participated in many Olympic Games, Zhou Yi and the others are complete newcomers.

At the meeting, they saw many sports stars that they could only see on TV before. Although they themselves can be considered stars, many players are still star-struck in front of Olympic stars.

Zhou Yi got the autograph and photo of badminton world champion Lin Dan, and then ran back to show off to his teammates.

Everyone else also gained something, but Sun Pan looked around, frowning and taking no action.

What are you looking at? Zhou Yi asked.

I'm looking for Ai Fukuhara

Ai Fukuhara? Zhou Yi was surprised.

Yes, why didn't she come?

What the hell! I'm Japanese!

Sun Pan was stunned when he heard Zhou Yi's words. It took him a long time to react and patted his forehead: Damn! I always thought she was a standard Northeastern person!

So you like girls like Fukuhara Ai? Zhou Yi looked at Sun Pan with thoughtful eyes.

No, no, no! Sun Pan waved his hand quickly. I like all types of girls!

Faced with such a shameless Sun Pan, Zhou Yi was speechless.

Yang Muge squeezed through the crowd and returned to them.

How was the harvest? Zhou Yi asked.

Yang Muge picked up a photo and said, I want the photo of Director Liu.

Zhou Yi took the photo and looked at it: Liu Guoliang?

Yang Muge nodded: It's a bit of a pity. I actually wanted Zhang Yining's autograph, but she has retired.

Many players of the Olympic team went to celebrities from other sports to get autographs and photos. In contrast, the Olympic team was relatively deserted. No one came to them to ask for autographs or photos. After all, in comparison, the image of Chinese football is really far behind those Olympic stars.

But there are always exceptions.

When Zhou Yi was chatting with his friends, a tall figure suddenly appeared on the Olympic team. He was so eye-catching that everyone stopped chatting and turned their attention to him, who won the championship at the Shanghai Swimming World Championships last year and Sun Yang, the young player who broke the world record.

Hi. Sun Yang raised his hand to greet everyone, and then went straight to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi, would you like to take a photo with me?

Zhou Yi pointed at himself with some surprise: Me? With me?

Yes. Sun Yang said with a wide grin. I'm your fan!

After speaking, he took out his mobile phone.

Let me help you. Yang Muge said proactively. Sun Yang handed him the phone.

Then he leaned down slightly and put his arm around Zhou Yi's shoulders. The two of them stood together and took a group photo.

After the group photo was taken, Sun Yang took the phone and gave Zhou Yi a thumbs up: I watched your game in Dortmund and you were really amazing! I used to think that only Xavi and Pirlo could play like that. I didn’t expect that we also have it in China! Come on for the Olympics, as long as I have time, I will also watch your competition!”

After saying that, he waved goodbye to the other Olympic team players.

Oh! That's awesome! As soon as Sun Yang left, some Olympic team players exclaimed. When Sun Yang broke the world record at the World Swimming Championships last year, he was so famous that even athletes in other sports had heard of his name. He is known as a talented young man in the world of swimming.

Didn't expect that he was a fan of Zhouyi?

Before everyone's exclamation was over, someone else came over and wanted to take a photo with Zhou Yi. This time it’s Ma Long, a player of the Chinese men’s table tennis team.

Next, people came to Zhou Yi one after another to take photos and sign autographs.

The teammates watching next to them were dazzled. At this time, many of them suddenly realized that in fact, their Olympic team also had big stars whose influence exceeded their own sports!

This makes the players of the Olympic team a little proud.

Zhou Yi is indeed the number one star of the Olympic team. Although there are five overseas players, Zhou Yi is obviously the most dazzling one. Even in the media interviews after the founding conference, Zhou Yi accepted an interview with a national TV station as a representative of the Olympic team.

When asked about his feelings about participating in the Olympics for the first time, he said: I am very excited and excited. I could only watch the Olympics in front of the TV. I never thought that I would also have the opportunity to participate in the Olympics in person.

This answer is actually quite appropriate.

However, his answer to the next question surprised the reporters and teammates present.

When a reporter asked Zhou Yi what goals or prospects he had for participating in the Olympics for the first time, Zhou Yi smiled and said: Play against outstanding teams and players from all over the world, and then win the championship.

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, the reporter interviewing him was stunned, and so were the teammates behind him.

Except for the five little dragons, everyone was stunned.

Did they hear it correctly? Zhou Yi just mentioned champion?

I'm sorry, you can repeat it again. The reporter was also a little confused. She confirmed to Zhou Yi.

Well, champion, I hope we can win the championship in the Olympics. This is my personal vision for the Olympics. Zhou Yi repeated it, this time he said it more clearly. Everyone heard him say I hope we can win the championship at the Olympics.

Is Zhou Yi crazy?

The reporter was shocked and suddenly realized that it might be big news, so she quickly asked: Why would you propose such a high goal? She was so frightened that she stuttered.

Zhou Yi continued to smile and answered reporters' questions: I think this is a goal in line with the Olympic spirit, right? Higher, faster and stronger. If the gold medal is the highest goal, then you should work towards the highest goal. Once every four years For those of us who play football, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games, so of course we must strive to do our best.”

So the gold medal goal is a kind of self-motivation? the reporter asked.

Zhou Yi nodded.

Seeing Zhou Yi nod, she breathed a sigh of relief and explained that it was normal. It didn't mean that Zhou Yi really wanted to win the championship, but that he regarded the championship as a motivation to fight. This is much easier to accept.

The interview with Zhou Yi ends here. Zhou Yi and his teammates will leave the Great Hall of the People and return to the training base in Xiangshan to continue training.

His teammates surrounded Zhou Yi on the way back: Zhou Yi, that championship goal was just to tease reporters, right?

This situation is actually quite common. When facing the media's camera, everyone will say some beautiful words involuntarily or with great effort.

No. Unexpectedly, Zhou Yi shook his head.

Eh?! Everyone was shocked. Could Zhou Yi be serious? Are you serious?!

Otherwise, what do you think? Sun Pan next to him couldn't help but asked.

For a moment, everyone looked at each other, a little unacceptable.

Olympic gold medal!

Although everyone likes that thing, everyone knows how far away it is from them. It is never easy to win a gold medal in the Olympics. Even table tennis, China's traditional advantage, often makes everyone nervous.

Not to mention that football is China’s traditional weak sport.

Don't look at me like that. Winning a gold medal is not impossible. As long as we maintain good condition and perform well, I think there is still a chance. Zhou Yi said to everyone. We are not the first Chinese team to participate in the Olympics, but we can be the first Chinese team to win a gold medal. Isn't that cool?

It's cool, but Zhou Yi is too difficult, right?

Wouldn't it be boring if it wasn't too difficult? I think it's like this. First of all, we have to believe in ourselves. Secondly, only then can we really accomplish things that others think we can't accomplish. If even we ourselves think it's something How can we really achieve something that is impossible? If our goal is to qualify for the group stage, then after qualifying for the group stage, will everyone feel that this is enough?

Someone said: How could it stop here? Who wouldn't want to go further?

That's right! Zhou Yi clapped his hands. After you take a step further, will you think it would be better if you can take a step further?

Now everyone looked at each other and roughly understood what Zhou Yi meant.

Zhou Yi continued: The knockout round is the top eight, and the next step is the semi-finals. The next step is the semi-finals. Damn it, isn't this the final? Since we have reached the final, why not strive for a championship?

There was silence in the carriage at this rhetorical question.

Everyone seemed to be deep in thought.

Zhou Yi did not continue to explain. He sat down and Sun Pan, who was next to him, came over and asked him: Isn't the emphasis of the Olympic spirit on participation?

Zhou Yi glanced at him: That's just an excuse made by losers to comfort themselves. To be continued. ..