The School of Journalism and Communication (SJC) played the School of Information Resources Management (SIRM) in the final of Football League One of Renmin University of China which was held at the football pitch in the Century Gymnasium at 12 on June 1st. SJC won the title with a score of 8 to 4, which made up for the regret of getting the runner up in the previous match.
The starting line-up sent by our side was a four-one-four-one formation, with Hao Ziliang as the goalkeeper, Dong Peijun and Jin Yijie at center back, Lv Jinkai at left back, Dai Shaofan at right back, Xu Binhong as the midfield anchor, Wu Weimin at left half back, Zhu Hongyi at right half back, Liu Qian and Ruitian as attacking midfielders, and Wen Xi as the centre forward. This line-up is determined according to the experience from many games.
The referee blew the whistle to start the game. Our side quickly formed pressing tactics from the front court, which made it difficult for the other side's full back to attack. In the 11th minute of the game, our side intercepted the ball in the midcourt with left midfielder Wu Weimin quickly bursting into the penalty area and tripped over by the other back's foul. Wu Weimin hit the penalty and made the score 1-0, making a fantastic start for our side. The other side launched fast breaks for many times after losing the ball, which were all resolved by our back defenders. Goalkeeper Hao Ziliang also made a superb save. In the 30th minute of the game, our side got a chance for a corner kick. Right midfielder Zhu Hongyi sent the ball into the penalty area which was punched out by the goalkeeper of the other side and fell at the foot of Ruitian who was outside the penalty area. Ruitian kicked the ball with his left foot, drawing a beautiful arc and lobbing into the dead corner of the goal to score another point. Our two side midfielders made breakthroughs in the first half, causing great trouble to the other side's defence. Towards the end of the first half, we got a corner ball again. Center back Jin Yijie grabbed a header in front of the goal, expanding the score to 3-0.
During the internal following the first half, head coach Dong Peijun tactically made some adjustments. Zhu Hongyi, Wu Weimin and Liu Qian were substituted with Qiang Shuo, Liu Jie and Yang Yulin to continue to strengthen midfield control.
The two teams changed ends in the second half. Our side continued to expand the leading edge with Wen Xi scoring twice to make it 5-0. Then the other side tried to score by launching several quick counterattacks. In the 60th minute, Han Shuo from the opposing team sent a corner kick into the penalty area, and Zhao Ziye headed in to pull back a ball for the SIRM. Following Zhao, Qiang Shuo from our side responded by taking a long shot outside the penalty area. Perhaps due to the lead in the score, our defenders relaxed their vigilance and the other side scored two goals, narrowing the score to 6-3. In the 75th minute, our side made the personnel adjustment by replacing Qiang Shuo who scored a goal in the second half with Liu Yuxuan. In the 79th minute, Yang Yulin's shot from the penalty area was blocked out of the baseline by the opponent player and our side got a corner again. Wen Xi used lob shot and scored his third goal in the game, performing a hat trick. In the 85th minute of the game, Han Shuo from the other side scored a goal. Near the end of the game, Liu Jie moved the ball in the midfield, skilfully dribbled past two opponents at the top of the penalty area, and calmly pushed the ball into the lower right corner of the goal. Finally, the score stood at 8 to 4.
Let's hear what the athletes say.
@Hao Ziliang, 2020 postgraduate:
It’s been five years since SJC won the football league one title. For most of the team members, this experience is unprecedented because they weren’t in the 2016 match when SJC won the championship. From the perspective of the line-up, this year promises a great opportunity to regain the title. As a veteran player and goalkeeper of the team, I should try my best to help other players on and off the court, and to defend the baseline for our team. I'm glad for the success on the same field where I played when I was a freshman. I hope young players in the team can gain experience and improve themselves. I also hope that a fresh goalkeeper can replace me after my graduation next year. SJC once had a glorious history of winning the championship three times consecutively. Considering this, this year is just the beginning and I expect that next year we can win our second title!
@ Dai Shaofan, 2020 doctoral student:
I have a great deal to say about participating in this game. It has been six years since I began to play football for our school when I was a freshman. Now I am a doctoral student. Despite being an “old” player, I played with a mentality of joining a “fresh” team constituting new members. This feels exactly like when I first joined the SJC Football Team in my freshman year. Before the game, I chatted with Zhong Hantao who was about to graduate from his master's degree. The conversation brought me a deeper understanding of football in that Zhong said that playing football means establishing relationships with the other 21 players on the field.
In my undergraduate years, the football match was more like a siege game to me as a full-back, with my vision limited to the guard line in front of the goal, the attackers, the ball and me. However, from the perspective of building links with the 21 players, this game offers me an opportunity to see the charm of football and the bond with the team. Even if there are football talents with excellent personal ability, ordinary players in other positions are also indispensable. Dong Peijun, who plays the role of both our captain and coach, should shoulder the responsibility of arranging the positions and tactics through signals on and off the court, and pointing out mistakes while balancing the mentality of each team member by encouraging them in time. I feel a strong sense of collective identity and belonging in this process of endeavouring, communicating and running for the same goal.
A single tree cannot make a forest. The effort and dedication of everyone on and off the court are inseparable to the victory. I’m very grateful to this experience.
@Wen Xi, 2019 undergraduate:
I didn’t play much football before, so it’s excited and nervous for me to participate in a formal football match for the first time. Fortunately, I played well. I basically accomplished the tasks assigned to me to live up to the expectations of our team. What impressed me most is the referee’s professionality and fairness, the players’ conscientiousness and the fraternal love to each other. Both sides would come to help in the first place if a player got cramps, regardless of which team the player belonged to. The enthusiasm of the audience also left me a deep impression. They yelled and shouted themselves hoarse, which brought us spiritual encouragement. Therefore, we owe a lot of our championship to the audience. I’m really grateful to the hard work done by my fellow students who cheered for us.
@Xu Binhong, 2018 undergraduate:
Many people said that a slacker like me didn't deserve to win the title, but this year I finally won the championship to prove myself as the midfielder! Thank my teammates for recasting the glory of SJC!
@Jin Yijie, 2017 undergraduate:
What the SJC Football Team has brought me after five games is unity and responsibility. This is the last football match for us 2017 undergraduates and the whole team were looking forward to winning the championship this year. SJC Football Team is a cohesive group. Although the talented players have their own training tasks, they spared no effort to prepare for every match under the arrangement of captain Dong Peijun. Besides, every team member had the opportunity to take part in the match. I can learn more professional tactics and playing methods from each game and make progress with the help of the whole team. It’s a hard-won champion. Besides, winning the title triggers wistful feelings, considering that the old friends will leave. However, new ones will come. I hope SJC Football Team can get better and better.
@Dong Peijun, 2019 undergraduate:
The title of football league one is hard-won. Through all the difficulties, the gains are full.
The variety of grades in our team reflects the players' deep love for football and the school, ranging from fresh undergraduates, postgraduates to doctoral students. Although this made it harder for me, the team coach and captain, to deploy the line-up of each game, I found many treasure players whose outstanding performance made a great contribution to our team's championship. More importantly, the game makes the players understand the sportsmanship of fighting to the end as well as the team spirit of being together no matter whether they win or lose. That's what the sport of football really means, and that's why we love football so much. On the pitch, not only are we the scenery in the eyes of others, but also others are the scenery in our eyes.
Thousands of ships sail onward past a sunken boat and thousands of forests thrive in front of a sick tree. From the talented players carrying the match, the ordinary members performing well and the students cheering on the sidelines, I see that SJC Football Team as a strong veteran team radiate new vitality. We form a historical node meeting at this moment when the stage for SJC officially opened!
This article is transferred from WeChat official account “SJC Family”.
Author: Liu Yuxuan, the Department of Sports
Photo by: Li Ruijun, the Department of Sports
Art by: Li Ziran, the News Center
Editor: Li Yuhao
Instructor: Sun Quan, Wuyi Lane
Translator: Yuan Jiayi
Proofreader: Chang Rongxuan
