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April 18, 2021

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From a Wuhan roof to China football savior

Wang Shuang was locked down and left kicking a ball on a rooftop in the coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan when China鈥檚 women鈥檚 football team began their Olympic qualification campaign 14 months ago.

But the midfielder was hailed as the savior of Chinese football after hitting a classy winner in extra time on Tuesday in Suzhou to send them to this summer鈥檚 Tokyo Games.

Wang鈥檚 strike in a 4-3 aggregate win over South Korea, having also scored the winner with a penalty in the first leg, embellished her reputation as the face of Chinese women鈥檚 football. The opposition coach called her 鈥渨orld-class.鈥

More than that, it was a badly needed boost at a time when China鈥檚 footballing reputation has taken a major hit with the financial collapse of men鈥檚 Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC.

鈥淭hank you Miss Wang Shuang! You not only helped the Chinese women鈥檚 team get an Olympic ticket, you saved the currently sluggish Chinese football!鈥 renowned journalist Ma Dexing wrote.

Wang is still only 26 but it is another chapter in an eventful life that was upended by the divorce of her parents when she was 5 and saw her consumed by loneliness as a child footballer trying to make it far away from her family.

Since turning professional and then making her China debut in 2013 there have been successful stints abroad, first in South Korea and then with Paris Saint-Germain in 2018-19.

After scoring on her debut for PSG, French newspaper Le Parisien declared: 鈥淲ang Shuang has already conquered Paris.鈥

She scored eight goals and made seven assists in 27 games for the French team, but was homesick and drawn back to Wuhan.

She found herself stranded there when the coronavirus emerged in the city and it was placed under lockdown 鈥 the world鈥檚 first 鈥 in January 2020.

It meant China had to conduct the bulk of their Olympic qualifying campaign without their star player, who was meanwhile videoed on top of a building firing balls against a wall to keep fit.

鈥淚 thought a lot during that time,鈥 Wang said of those long 76 days marooned in Wuhan.

When the domestic league belatedly kicked off in a virus-secure 鈥渂ubble,鈥 Wang helped her local team win the Chinese championship.

鈥淭he title belongs to the city of Wuhan,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t has not been easy on any of us.鈥

As a little girl, football was an escape for Wang.After her parents divorced and left Wuhan, a young Wang was sent to live with an aunt and uncle, whom she regards as her mother and father.

鈥淚 loved football because it allowed me to express myself and get attention,鈥 she told The Players鈥 Tribune website in 2019.

鈥淎nd at that time, after my parents鈥 divorce, I needed that.鈥

As a young player of obvious promise, Wang was enrolled at a national training school in Beijing, more than 1,000 kilometers from Wuhan. Once, when she was just 12, she traveled to Beijing alone on a sleeper train. She cried all night.

She was in tears too at the final whistle on Tuesday 鈥 this time in joy. South Korea鈥檚 coach Colin Bell described Wang as 鈥渨orld-class鈥 and 鈥渧ery, very dangerous.鈥

鈥淭hose opportunities, if they鈥檙e gifted, she鈥檒l take them,鈥 said the Englishman.


 

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