Soccer players from a Sao Paulo team arrive at the Village Super League stadium in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, on Oct 3. WEI GUIJIN / FOR CHINA DAILY
Rongjiang, a small county in the mountains of Southwest China's Guizhou province, has been attracting global attention through its uniquely "village-style" soccer matches.
Known as cun chao, or the Village Super League, the games are organized and played primarily by local villagers with prizes often featuring agricultural products.
The league is now stepping onto the international stage, especially through friendly matches with teams such as those from Brazil competing alongside local players.
Brazilian soccer star Kaka (center) faces local players during a Village Super League match in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, on May 27. YANG WENBIN / XINHUA
On the evening of Oct 3, at the Village Super League stadium in Rongjiang, a team from Brazil's Sao Paulo faced a team from Guiyang, capital of Guizhou.
More than 30,000 fans packed the stadium as Rongjiang residents dressed in matching outfits and vibrant traditional ethnic costumes formed a cheer squad for the match.
The soccer players were warmly welcomed, with fans and visitors vying for handshakes and photo opportunities.
Spectators welcome a Brazilian soccer player in the Village Super League stadium in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, on Oct 3. LUO XINGHAN / FOR CHINA DAILY
The match was intense and in the 84th minute, a Brazilian soccer player scored a decisive goal. The team celebrated with samba dances as the crowd erupted in cheers.
Ultimately, the Sao Paulo team won 1-0 against the Guiyang team.
Eleazar Villavicencio, head coach of the Sao Paulo team, recalled, "The vibe was great."
The award ceremony was full of surprises, with the Brazilian players excited to receive a local chicken delicacy — two servings of xiao xiang ji.
Soccer fans enter the Village Super League stadium during a match between a Sao Paulo team and a Guiyang team in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, on Oct 3. WEI GUIJIN / FOR CHINA DAILY
Fireworks lit up the sky and music filled the air. Fans surrounded the soccer players, dancing and enjoying the event together.
From Oct 3 to 6, the Sao Paulo team played three games, netting eight goals in total. Their performance highlighted the appeal of Brazilian soccer, providing an exciting display for the fans.
Dong Yongheng, a top scorer in the Village Super League, said, "Their style of play is as fluid and graceful as a dance, making the match incredibly enjoyable."
Crowds watch a soccer match between a Sao Paulo team and a Guiyang team in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, on Oct 3. LUO XINGHAN / FOR CHINA DAILY
Impressed by the performance, Dong waited for the opportunity to face the Brazilian team. On the evening of Oct 9, he led the Village Super League's best lineup in a friendly match against the Sao Paulo team.
Earlier in August, Eleazar and team manager Yang Shengjun visited Rongjiang. "Rongjiang is a promising land of soccer. The people are passionate about soccer, which is similar to Brazil," Yang said.
"After Eleazar returned to Brazil, we kept in touch and decided to create a youth training club in Rongjiang, implementing Brazilian coaching techniques," he said.
Revelers celebrate at the end of a soccer match between a Sao Paulo team and a Guiyang team in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, on Oct 3. WEI GUIJIN / FOR CHINA DAILY
Yang said the club's opening would bring a group of young Brazilian players to Rongjiang, where they would play in games and teach soccer in primary and secondary schools.
"We aim to offer more children the chance to use soccer as a way to … open up greater opportunities for their future," Yang said.
Soccer in Rongjiang extends beyond the Village Super League. In the 1990s, locals spontaneously organized matches on openair fields. Today, Rongjiang has 14 standard soccer pitches, 35 registered teams, 14 national-level youth specialist soccer schools and 41 county-level specialist soccer schools, according to Chinese media reports.
Brazilian soccer star Kaka (left) poses for a photo with locals as he takes part in a Village Super League match in Rongjiang on May 27. ZHANG HUI / FOR CHINA DAILY
"Kaka also came to Rongjiang once. The influence of the Village Super League just got bigger," villager Yang Zhenjiang said, referring to the Brazilian soccer star's visit in May.
Kaka said in a video earlier that he was invited by the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development and a Chinese smartphone brand to take part in the "Chasing Dreams" charity soccer event, which aimed to promote local youth soccer and the development of the Village Super League.
After arriving in Rongjiang, Kaka experienced the local tradition of drinking homemade rice wine. He was also treated to Guizhou's ethnic performances.
Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.
