The decisive battle at "Nanyue Peak"! The Centenary School Cup, creating the Campus Super Cup

Written by: Zuo Rui After the beginning of autumn, the weather in Hengyang remains hot, and the peak showdown of the second Centenary School Football Elite Exchange Tournament for middle school groups is even more intense. Whether they are new faces or old friends in the participating teams, everyone is fully engaged in this increasingly fierce and exciting new event, releasing their true love and enjoying football at the end of summer vacation.

Nanchang No. 2 Middle School, last year's runner-up in the U13 Youth Championship, faced strong resistance from Zunyi No. 4 Experimental Middle School in the opening match of this tournament. Despite twin brothers Guo Siyou and Guo Siyuan each scoring a goal, Nanchang No. 2 won their first match 2-0, but coach Zeng Deqiang noted the remarkable resilience and fighting spirit displayed by their opponents. "This time in Hengyang, our coaching staff focuses on showcasing our own style, including our passing and control, midfield coordination, and ability to seize opportunities... These aspects are more important than winning or losing."

▲ Coach Pu Weitong of Chengdu Huaxi Middle School

Another strong team in Group B, Chengdu Huaxi Middle School, defeated Qingdao No. 37 Middle School with the same score, but at the cost of one red card and four yellow cards. Chaotic scenes frequently appeared during the encounters between the two technical teams, which seemed quite unbelievable. After the match, winning coach Pu Weitong earnestly educated the entire team, emphasizing stricter requirements for team discipline. "As representatives of our school, we must cherish the opportunity to compete and uphold the school's honor. With strong competitors ahead, can we withstand the test?"

After timely adjustments by the coaching staff, the challenge goals for both Nanchang No. 2 and Chengdu Huaxi Middle School became clearer. In the second round, both teams achieved consecutive victories, securing early advancement. In the final round, the two strong teams faced each other in a closely contested match that could only be decided by a penalty shootout, with Nanchang No. 2 ultimately winning the group with a score of 4-2.

▲ The captain of Nanchang No. 2, Guo Siyou (No. 6), and Guo Siyuan (No. 7) are twins

To ensure the quality of participating teams and regional coverage, the organizers of the Centenary School Elite Exchange Tournament did not open registration and instead used an invitation system. The overall competitive level and organization of the tournament is akin to China's campus version of the "Toulon Cup." This also creates a sense of mystery among the participating teams. However, matches are held simultaneously at Hengyang No. 20 Middle School and Hengyang No. 1 Middle School, with four groups drawn to compete at alternating venues. Each coach has the opportunity to observe other matches closely, and some new faces quickly become well-known, including Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Sports School, which is the furthest traveling team in this middle school group, and Chuxiong No. 1 Middle School from Yunnan Province.

Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow School, which sparked discussions during the tournament due to its "3+4" integrated training model, won its first match in Group A 4-2 against Hefei No. 50 East School, but was defeated 3-0 in the second round by the traditional football powerhouse Guangzhou No. 5 Middle School. Regarding this, Guangzhou No. 5's head coach Zhao Shaowei remarked that the score exceeded expectations because the match was very closely contested.

▲ Head coach Zhao Shaowei of Guangzhou No. 5 Middle School

The well-known traditional football stronghold, Guangzhou No. 5 Middle School, holds post-match summary meetings and pre-match preparation meetings daily. The performance of their opponent from Zhangjiakou in the first round caught the attention of the coaching staff, prompting targeted preparations before the match. Specifically, they focused on maintaining high concentration on both offense and defense, quickly collapsing during defense and swiftly advancing from the flanks during offense.

"Perhaps our team's condition was better, and our tactical execution was more thorough, so all three goals came from exploiting gaps opened up on the flanks," Zhao Shaowei said. Locking in the top spot in the group early allowed them to rotate players extensively to build up their fighting strength, which could be crucial for a team aiming for the championship during the knockout stage.

▲ The goalkeeper of Guangzhou No. 5 Middle School, Chen Yitao, who is of mixed Chinese and foreign descent, idolizes Buffon

Zhao Shaowei does not hide Guangzhou No. 5's determination to win the championship. "However, we also know that the Centenary School Cup consists mainly of strong teams from various provinces and cities. Every team wants to prove themselves in the competition, and in a tournament format with consecutive matches, it's challenging to guarantee that we can perform at our highest level in every game. Therefore, we will prepare meticulously and enjoy every match."

As a recently formed invited team, the head coach of Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Sports School's U15 team, Yu Miao, expressed great honor to compete in Hengyang against strong teams. This tournament holds significant value for them. "The kids performed well in the first round. Today, we adjusted our formation based on the opponent's superior technical skills, adopting a simpler and more direct playing style, but we still couldn't contain them." Yu Miao said that Guangzhou No. 5 truly deserves its reputation as a traditional strong team in campus football, not only for their technical skills and individual abilities but also for their impressive overall team spirit.

▲ Yu Miao, head coach of Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Sports School's U15 team

As one of the teams invited for the first time, Chengdu Huaxi Middle School cherishes the "Centenary School Cup" as a dual-excellence exchange platform focused on quality education and outstanding football. According to Pu Weitong, their principal places great importance on this event, and the school hopes to participate in the high school group next year. Most of the players in this team are football specialists, and they have been preparing seriously for over three weeks for this tournament. "If we have the opportunity to participate again next year, many of our players will take on the challenges in the high school group, continuing to grow through this high-level tournament."

As the four-time champion of the Yunnan Provincial Youth Campus Football League from 2018 to 2021, Chuxiong No. 1 Middle School views the "Centenary School Cup" as a new starting point for reconstructing the glory of its football program.

▲ Chuxiong No. 1 Middle School motivating each other before the match

During the tournament, they have repeatedly expressed strong intentions to the organizers to continue participating next year. "Thank you to the organizing committee for the invitation, allowing us the opportunity to leave Yunnan and participate in the youth tournament organized by the Football Newspaper." Yang Chengdong, the head coach with 37 years of teaching experience, believes that the public welfare and influence of the "Centenary School Cup" are beyond doubt, and its competitive level stands out among national non-official campus football events, "clearly at a higher level."

Before departure, Yang Chengdong told parents and players that this exchange tournament gathers prestigious schools and strong competitors, making the opportunity to participate very rare. "We go to Hengyang to teach students to care for and help each other, to learn to fight, to accept setbacks, and to continuously summarize and improve." This veteran campus football worker from Yunnan, after reviewing the rosters of all teams in the order booklet before the tournament, positioned his team as "the weakest team."

▲ Yang Chengdong, head coach of Chuxiong No. 1 Middle School

In the first round, Chuxiong No. 1 lost 0-2 to Nanning No. 37 Middle School, missing three scoring opportunities, which ignited the team's desire to win in the national tournament. By observing their group opponents, they adopted a different mentality and targeted tactics in the second round, resulting in a 4-0 victory over Henan Lingying County Beijie School.

This unexpected result, coupled with the surprising draw between Xi'an Tie No. 1 Middle School and Nanning No. 37 in the second round, created chaos in Group C, with three teams still holding hopes of advancing. "Today's match, both in process and result, I am particularly dissatisfied." Liu Yibing, head coach of last year's runner-up and one of the favorites for this year's championship, Xi'an Tie No. 1 Middle School, said that winning on penalties only earned them two points, and he couldn't allow his starters to rest in the third round. "If we lose to Yunnan tomorrow, we might even be eliminated."

▲ Players from Nanning No. 37 Middle School raise the jersey of their absent teammate, Xie Jiahui, before the match

After two rounds, the new team, Nanning No. 37 Middle School, fully demonstrated its combat power and will. The penalty shootout against Xi'an Tie No. 1 Middle School served as a timely warning. "I really didn't expect there to be so many strong teams in the Centenary School Cup, and the overall level has improved significantly compared to the first edition," Liu Yibing said.

Each group has strong clashes, while coaches from each team engage in strategic battles, greatly increasing the challenges, excitement, and unpredictability of the matches. After recognizing reality and adjusting their mindset, both Xi'an Tie No. 1 Middle School and Nanning No. 37 Middle School won their final round matches, advancing together to the quarter-finals of the Honor Group.

▲ Liu Yibing, head coach of Xi'an Tie No. 1 Middle School

No matter how close the strength or how high the level of competition, there will always be winners and losers. To emphasize the original intention of the "Centenary School Cup," allowing teams from all over the country to enjoy football and return satisfied from the matches, even with the scale of participating teams doubling in the second edition, the organizers continued the format of the first edition. After the group stage, there will be no single-elimination matches, but a ranking tournament will continue. A "potential group" was established, allowing the other eight teams that missed out on the Honor Group to avoid going home early due to low group rankings. Instead, the third and fourth place teams from each group would compete against each other, ensuring that all participating teams have the same number of matches (6) to achieve thorough exchanges and training through competition.

After each day's matches, there are always teams that stay on the sidelines to watch the next match after completing their stretching and relaxation. Some teams even arrive at another venue in the morning to organize team observations against Guangzhou No. 5 Middle School.

▲ Beijing 101 Middle School competing against Guangzhou No. 5 Middle School

In the second round of the group stage, Beijing 101 Middle School lost narrowly 0-1 to Hefei No. 50 East School, prematurely exiting the top eight. After the match, several players were seen shedding tears of regret. Head coach Li Dongfeng said, "This match had teamwork and fighting spirit, showing significant improvement compared to yesterday. The opponent's strength was above ours, and it was good that we could perform at our level." He then reminded the entire team, "The evening meeting will continue!"

In an interview, Li Dongfeng said that the children's competitive spirit is strong, and feeling sad for the football they love is sometimes inevitable. "I know most of the opponents in the Centenary School Cup; they are either prestigious schools or strong teams. We came to Hengyang to learn and grow. Our coaching staff's requirement is to fight for every ball and every point, with progress in every match." He stated, "In today's match, we achieved our goal of learning and exchanging ideas well."

▲ Wang Youzhi, team leader of Hefei No. 50 East School

Winning team leader Wang Youzhi of Hefei No. 50 East School also resonated with this sentiment, stating that it was their first time in Hengyang, and through the "Centenary School Cup," they gained valuable experience. "I think this tournament is great; opportunities for middle school students to compete are scarce. Summer competitions are relatively concentrated, and this tournament allows us to see our gaps and make improvements when we return."

Due to the heavy academic burden on middle school students, Hefei No. 50 East School's field lacks lighting facilities, so they usually train during lunch breaks and have ample time only on weekends. This tradition has lasted for eight years. To play more matches, they often arrange friendly matches with teams from other regions. "However, friendly matches, no matter how close the teams are in strength, are completely different from the organized and well-attended high-standard competition atmosphere of the Centenary School Cup, making it hard to achieve the same results."

▲ Nong Yu, team leader of Nanning No. 37 Middle School

Using competition to promote training is also the starting point for the establishment of the "Centenary School Cup." Nong Yu, the team leader of Nanning No. 37 Middle School, originally a history teacher who also coached the school team in the 1990s, now leads a four-person coaching team composed of younger and more professional teachers, who are training the children of this traditional football school.

Nong Yu, nearing retirement, told the newspaper that their school is the city-level "Thousand-Mile Cup" champion and the Guangxi Autonomous Region campus league champion. "But what’s the point of staying in Nanning? We need to let the children grow through football, learn to release their emotions, and participate in competitions like the Centenary School Cup." The match where they lost on penalties to Xi'an Tie No. 1 Middle School serves as a prime example. During the penalty shootout, substitute players and coaches stood shoulder to shoulder, and the scene of midfielder Xie Baoting, who was injured and carried off the field, propped up on the stretcher watching the penalty shootout, was moving. When the final whistle blew, a player who missed a penalty cried out loud...

There are tears and laughter; impulses and restraint; successes and failures; progress and reflection... This is the second "Centenary School Cup" middle school event taking place under the beautiful Xiang River, at the foot of Mount Heng in Nanyue.

Starting from Jinan, Shandong in July 2024, to Nansha, Guangzhou in the summer of 2025, then to Qidong, Jiangsu, and finally to Hengyang, the Centenary School Football Elite Exchange Tournament has been established for just over a year, already bringing together 72 elite campus teams from more than 20 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) across the country into four locations, becoming one of the most influential and distinctive youth football events.