Does the Chinese Steel Roses still need Pu Wei?

The answer is absolutely Yes. The 28-year-old midfielder returned from her retirement of soccer for the third time after Chinese women's soccer team's coach Shang Ruihua called her up in May.

Chinese veteran midfielder Pu Wei (L)

"When the national team needs me, I have the strong impetus to come back," the veteran player told Xinhua.

For a female soccer player, 28-year-old is obviously over the hill, but coach Shang said Pu's experience could greatly boost the team's performance at the Beijing Olympics.

"Pu's comeback could strengthen our defense," Shang said.

"I had an eight-month rest before I came back," Pu said. "So I have been working hard to improve fitness to meet high demand of Olympic competition."

Born in Shanghai, Pu joined the senior national squad 11 years ago when she was just 17 and scored her first World Cup goal in 1999.

As a young talent of the Steel Roses in the golden years of the 1990s, she had been fighting together with former star striker Sun Wen and brought the country a bunch of glories, including the runners-up in the 1999 World Cup.

However, she has retired three times from the national team in the past five years. Seemingly, she chose to do so every time she finished an important tournament, such as World Cup or Olympics.

"I know sometimes my decisions are not rational enough." Pu said." But I have to respect my feelings and emotions."

Pu's first retirement was announced after 2003 World Cup in the United States, where her team was eliminated after losing 1-0 to underdogs Canada in the quarterfinals.

However, she returned from retirement after being called back by the national team a few months ahead of the 2004 Sydney Olympics.

Unfortunately, China was humiliated 8-0 by Germany in the opening match and failed to survive the group stage. The disappointed Pu decided to leave again.

Under coach Ma Liangxing's call-up, Pu came back again in 2006 and helped the team recapture the Asian Cup title it had conceded to Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) seven years ago.

In the 2007 World Cup, China was eliminated in the quarterfinals at home with a 1-0 defeat by Norway. As captain Pu was blamed for poor performance by one of her teammates, she vowed to retire from the national team for good.

But China's new coach Shang Ruihua managed to pull her back in May after promising to remove the team's internal dissension.

Taking the reins of the national team in April, the 64-year-old Shang shouldered a burden of reviving the declining Steel Roses and aimed to reach the last four at the upcoming Olympics.

Shang called up some veteran players like Pu and goalkeeper Han Wenxia while injecting fresh faces into the team to inspire fighting spirits.

"I am not sure if I could become a starter in the squad," Pu said. "It depends on my performance, so I have to work hard."

"During the time playing with Sun and other teammates, I was just a new face," Pu said,"But now, I am the most experienced one here."

Pu has been trying hard to improve her physical fitness since the latest comeback. On May 28, she was sent to play in the match against Vietnam in Asian Cup. Despite an appearance of just 10-minute, Pu has demonstrated she could still play an important role on the team.

The Asian Cup was surely not Pu's ultimate goal. In her eyes, the Beijing Olympic Games is far more important.

Coincidentally, just before the final of women's soccer at the Olympics on Aug., Pu will celebrate her 28th birthday. An Olympic medal would be the most precious birthday gift she could ever get.

"We'll try to go as far as possible," Pu said. "But what I am thinking about is just the opening match against Sweden."

Undoubtedly, the Steel Roses still need Pu. But the veteran player is expected to announce another retirement once she finishes her third Olympics.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)