‘China’s Maradona’ looking to keep the dream alive
SHANGHAI — Brazilian star Oscar calls Wu Lei “the best Chinese player” and for most of his career Wu has carried the burden of being called “China’s Maradona”.
He will need to shine his brightest on Thursday night in Wuhan if China is to prolong its razor-thin hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with a victory over Uzbekistan.
Wu upstaged his $72 million teammate Oscar in Shanghai SIPG’s 4-0 mauling of Guangzhou Evergrande in its AFC Champions League quarterfinal first leg last week, scoring twice in three minutes and winning a penalty.
The 25-year-old’s first goal was a starry solo effort that demonstrated why he does not look out of place alongside Oscar and Hulk — and why he is central to the nation’s soccer future.
China’s 2006 World Cupwinning Italian coach Marcello Lippi alluded to Wu’s vital importance this week when he said that he was woefully short of pure scorers.
“We don’t have strikers. On paper I don’t even have one striker, I have to make players from other positions play striker,” Lippi.
Cue Wu, a converted winger said the 69-year-old who last year was nominated for Asian Player of the Year.
He became the youngest Chinese professional at age 14 and has a ratio of roughly a goal every two games for his Shanghai club.
Mission improbable
This season he has been even better, scoring 19 times and grabbing eight assists in 31 appearances.
Wu is as prolific for the national side — seven goals in 43 appearances — but is likely to be thrust farther forward by Lippi for Thursday’s match because of the dearth of choices.
In order to grab a highly improbable third-place in Group A and with it a playoff spot, China must win on Thursday and again next week in Qatar — and hope results elsewhere go its way.
With one win from eight matches so far, China sits dead last in the group.
Wu is largely unknown in Europe, but he won lofty comparisons with Argentina legend Maradona from former China coach Xu Genbao when the player was just 13.
Wu credits the Brazilian trio of Oscar, Hulk and Elkeson, as well as Shanghai’s former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre VillasBoas, with shaping spectacular club season.
“I feel I now shoulder a lot less pressure during games because opposing defenders tend to focus on our Brazilians instead and they can also create chances for me,” he told the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in a recent interview.
“The coach is very strict and tough, but full of passion for the game.
“No matter if it is training or during the match, he is always motivating the team to do better.” his