"The match itself is more important than its result," said Dong Yongheng, whose team is named after his village, Zhongcheng, the Chinese word for loyalty. "By running, fighting and giving my all on the field, I am reminded that I still have a deep passion for life and soccer."

It was a close match, and Dong's team was defeated by Chejiang First Village team in a penalty shootout. "It was a great experience, and I'm happy to have taken part in it," he said.

Dong runs a snack bar in the village but has loved soccer since he was very young. In this Village Super League season, which began on May 13, he scored multiple goals, making him popular among the spectators who closely followed the matches.

All the players in the Village Super League come from different walks of life. Some are students, while others are butchers, vendors, construction workers, excavator drivers or businesspeople. Among the referees are schoolteachers, government workers and villagers. But all are united in their passion for soccer.

That passion is boosted by a prevailing soccer culture and adequate infrastructure. Rongjiang County, with fewer than 400,000 permanent residents, has 14 standard soccer fields and nearly 40 amateur teams with more than 1,200 players.

"It's truly a soccer match of the people," said Wang Lina, a tourist from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. "The players and spectators are all immersed in the simple joy of the sport."

Members of the Chejiang First Village team celebrate after winning the championship of the Village Super League in Rongjiang, Guizhou province, on Saturday. [ZHU XINGXIN/CHINA DAILY]
GUIYANG — It was a soccer match with no red carpet, no stars and no professional players, but at least 50,000 spectators watched it on-site and millions of others online.

At the Village Super League finals in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, Saturday night, very few people were concerned about the final score. It was the passion and sportsmanship of these amateur players and the cheerful, warm and relaxing atmosphere on the field that inspired the crowd.

"The match itself is more important than its result," said Dong Yongheng, whose team is named after his village, Zhongcheng, the Chinese word for loyalty. "By running, fighting and giving my all on the field, I am reminded that I still have a deep passion for life and soccer."

It was a close match, and Dong's team was defeated by Chejiang First Village team in a penalty shootout. "It was a great experience, and I'm happy to have taken part in it," he said.

Dong runs a snack bar in the village but has loved soccer since he was very young. In this Village Super League season, which began on May 13, he scored multiple goals, making him popular among the spectators who closely followed the matches.

All the players in the Village Super League come from different walks of life. Some are students, while others are butchers, vendors, construction workers, excavator drivers or businesspeople. Among the referees are schoolteachers, government workers and villagers. But all are united in their passion for soccer.