Where does the hope for Chinese football lie? Can naturalized players really save the fate of the national team? On January 3rd, when 26-year-old naturalized player Hou Yongyong was selected for the national team for the first time, these questions were once again brought to the fore. For many people, Hou Yongyong's selection may be a hot search news that they quickly skim through and then put aside. But if you carefully delve into his story, you will find that it is not only about the turning point of a player's destiny, but also a mirror reflecting the current state of Chinese football. Born in 1997, Hou Yongyong was destined to be different from ordinary people. Can you imagine a Chinese child growing up in the heart of European football, quietly becoming the "future star of Norway" under the blessing of talent and sweat? In Norway, Hou Yongyong has been widely acclaimed since his youth training days. He not only represented various Norwegian youth teams in competitions but also frequently grabbed headlines, being considered as the "all-round midfielder" of Norwegian football. But life always loves to flip the script. In 2019, after being recruited by the naturalization policy to China, Hou Yongyong joined Beijing Guoan, a powerhouse in the Chinese Super League (CSL). At that time, many people had high hopes for him, even thinking that he might become an absolute mainstay for the national team in the future. However, things did not go as expected, and his start was not smooth. Affected by injuries, adaptation periods, and other multiple…