Song Zhenyu

Song Zhenyu
宋振瑜
Personal information
Date of birthSeptember 21, 1981
Place of birthDalian, China
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3.2 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Changchun Yatai
Number29
Youth career
1995-1998Sichuan Quanxing
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1999-2001Sichuan Quanxing13(0)
2002→Chongqing Lifan (loan)3(0)
2003→Dalian Shide (loan)0(0)
2004Dalian Shide9(0)
2005Sichuan Guancheng25(0)
2006-2009Shenyang Ginde97(0)
2010-2011Chengdu Blades33(0)
2011-2012Tianjin Teda F.C.30(0)
2013-Changchun Yatai41(0)
National team‡
2007-2009China12(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 November 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 4 November 2013
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Song.

Song Zhenyu (Chinese: 宋振瑜; Pinyin: Sòng Zhènyú) (born September 21, 1981) is a Chinese international football player who currently plays for Changchun Yatai as a goalkeeper in the Chinese Super League

Club career

Despite being born in Dalian, Liaoning Song Zhenyu would move to Chengdu in the Sichuan province as a boy where he would achieve his dream in becoming a professional footballer when he joined top tier side Sichuan Quanxing in 1999.[1] For the next two seasons he would go on to play understudy to Gao Jianbin and go on to make thirteen league appearances during the periods that Gao Jianbin was injured, however being unable to permanently claim the first choice goalkeeping position Song would be loaned out to Chongqing Lifan and his hometown football team Dalian Shide.[2] After his loan period expired with Dalian Shide the club would decide to make a permanent move for Song where he played understudy to An Qi and made nine league appearances.

At the beginning of the 2005 league season Song would rejoin his first club Sichuan Quanxing (who had renamed themselves Sichuan Guancheng) and would immediately become the team's first choice goalkeeper and helped guide the club to a ninth place finish at the end of the season, however this wasn't enough for Sichuan in stopping them disbanding the team. In the 2006 league season Song moved to Shenyang Ginde where he rose to prominence becoming their first choice goalkeeper.[2] The following season would see him continue his establishment within the team despite the club deciding to move to Changsha and rename themselves Changsha Ginde. In 2008 Song would have an extremely eventful year, first he would become his countries first choice goalkeeper, then he would tend to his wife while she battled and recovered from a brain tumor while also having to help guide Changsha Ginde away from relegation at the end of the season.[3]

By the 2010 league season Song proclaimed his desire to move back to Chengdu with his wife while she gave birth to their child and wanted to join second tier football team Chengdu Blades. He would get his wish when he joined Chengdu Blades on the final day of the transfer deadline and would play in twenty four league games in their successful promotion push to the Chinese Super League.[4] Chengdu Blades would however struggle in the top tier and after a heavy 4-1 defeat to Shanghai Shenhua, Song as well several other first team players would be dropped from the team.[5] Half way through the league season he would join Tianjin Teda F.C. for 1.5 million RMB where he established himself as the first choice goalkeeper and would win the 2011 Chinese FA Cup in his debut season.[6]

International career

After some consistent performances for his club Song Zhenyu would be called up to the Chinese senior team in 2007 after recently appointed manager Vladimir Petrović decided he was looking for a new goalkeeper. He would fight for the goalkeeping position against Zong Lei and would eventually make his first full international cap for China against Mexico on April 16, 2008 in a 1-0 defeat.[7] Under Petrović's reign Song would become his countries first choice goalkeeper until Gao Hongbo became the Chinese new manager and decided to drop Song from the squad.

Honours

Tianjin Teda F.C.

References

  1. ↑ "宋振瑜". sodasoccer.com. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Sòng, Zhènyú". National Football Teams. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  3. ↑ "国门宋振瑜欲卖房救妻 爱人患上脑瘤需开刀(图)". sports.sohu.com. 2008-12-12. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  4. ↑ "前国门宋振瑜正式转会谢菲联 成足主力刘成加盟长沙". sports.sina.com.cn. 2010-02-13. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  5. ↑ "Shanghai Shenhua vs. Chengdu Blades 4-1". soccerway.com. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  6. ↑ "宋振瑜稱阿里漢是真正功臣 爆料李瑋鋒怕老婆牌技臭". dailynews.sina.com. 2011-11-22. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  7. ↑ "Friendlies 2008". football-lineups.com. 16-Apr-08. Retrieved 2012-08-21. Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links