For one short period in 2001 and 2002, China’s men’s soccer team was the pride of a jubilant nation
As the ball dropped to Yu Genwei inside the penalty area of a raucous Wulihe Stadium on October 7, 2001, the crowd held their collective breath. Then, the 27-year-old forward stretched to fire the ball past the Omani goalkeeper and into the net, sparking wild celebrations in the stadium in Shenyang, Liaoning province, and in the living rooms of millions watching around China.
When the final whistle blew, Yu’s goal gave China a 1 – 0 win over Oman; enough to send the men’s national team to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history after over 40 years of trying, and to bring supporters out onto the streets all across China, celebrating with fireworks, flags, whistles, and singing.
“In Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu; in cities all over, in villages, all of China’s fans can be proud and happy with this team,” the presenter on CCTV 5, the state-run sports channel, told viewers as celebrations began. In Beijing, TV footage confirmed crowds gathering outside Beijing Railway Station to watch the match on a big screen, then spilling onto the streets around Tiananmen Square to revel in the team’s victory. Drummers performed in Haikou, people sung the national anthem in Chongqing, and fans danced long into the night in Qingdao. “We’re Through” read a giant headline on popular sport newspaper Titan Sports.
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