56.com video for those in China after the jump.
Li Ming, a 12-year-old who plays on Qingdao’s Chengyang Experimental No. 2 Primary School, captured Chinese soccer fans’ attention recently with his ball-handling, passing, set-piece kicks, and lob shots over goalies’ heads. All the above can be seen the in embedded video, a game vs. Qingdao Quartet Experimental Primary School in the finals of the “Mayor’s Cup” tournament.
Li, who the commentators in the video refer to as “No. 10″ — which just happens to be Lionel Messi’s number — propelled his team to a 5-2 win. By propelled I mean did everything, scoring four goals (a penalty, a strike, a header, and a chip shot) and assisting on the other. Quite the performance, even if he has a way to go before meriting comparisons to this man. [UPDATE, 6/5: A long way.] If young Li survives China’s sports system, maybe he’ll just become the soccer star this country so desperately seeks.
People are seriously invoking Messi’s name for THIS?
A 3 year old handicapped kid from England could probably do the same thing playing against Chinese competition. China is the most unathletic country in the world.
Yet you cannot and the three year old probably would have a high sense of hearing and a natural talent trained by professionals. China is the most unathletic country in the world? It have one of the most gold medals in the Olympics, so if you’re saying that, the world basically consists of two countries: America and China, while others are from other planets that apparently suck more than China.