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profile: SUN WEN
GUIDING
LIGHT
CHINA’S SUN WEN IS
READY TO GIVE BACK TO
THE GAME WHICH GAVE THE
FIVE-TIME AFC WOMEN’S
ASIAN CUP WINNER AND
JOINT RECIPIENT OF THE
FIFA WOMEN’S PLAYER OF
THE CENTURY ACCOLADE
SO MUCH DURING A
GLITTERING CAREER.
By: Peter Alsop Photos: Lagardère Sports/Getty Images
When it comes to
career credentials,
few can rival Sun
Wen after the
China legend was
named the joint
FIFA Women’s
Player of the
Century, won five AFC Women’s Asian Cups
and an Olympic Games silver medal, as well
as claiming the Golden Ball and the Golden
Shoe at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World
Cup.
But asked to recollect her personal
highlight, there is no mention of awards.
“I always remember the 1999 final,” says
42-year-old Sun, after China played out a
goalless draw with the USA in Pasadena’s
Rose Bowl in the final of the 1999 FIFA
Women’s World Cup before suffering an
agonising 5-4 penalty shootout defeat.
“It wasn’t about the result; it was
the feeling of playing in front of 90,000
spectators. We’ll never forget it because
as a women’s soccer player, you are
very happy to see that your ability can be
appreciated by the fans. The attendances
in China’s league were in the hundreds, so
sometimes you had doubts. This was like a
dream.”
And recognition is important to a player
who made 152 appearances, scoring a
remarkable 106 goals, for the Steel Roses.
Yet from a young age found it difficult to
convince her mother that football was the
right career trajectory.
“My father was interested in football so I
would watch games with him. He supported
my choice to play, but my mother didn’t,”
added Sun.
“She tried to convince me that it was too
competitive and that I should study instead,
AFC QUARTERLY 29