This Is the Los Angeles Sol: Han Duan

Part 3 in a series of articles on the players that make up the 2009 Los Angeles Sol.

The No. 9 is considered to be an auspicious number in Chinese culture. 
 
The Chinese word for it, jiu, also means "long-lasting."

It is associated with the Chinese dragon, a symbol of magic and power. It comes in nine forms, it possesses nine attributes, and it has nine children.

The dragon often symbolizes the Emperor, and the number nine can be found in many ornaments in Beijing's Forbidden City. In Hong Kong, the neighborhood Kowloon means “nine dragons.”
 
The circular altar platform (Earthly Mount) of the Temple of Heaven has one circular marble plate in the center, surrounded by a ring of nine plates, then another ring of 18 and so on, for a total of nine rings, with the outermost having 81.
 
And who better to wear the No. 9 than Los Angeles Sol forward Han Duan.
 
With her long, highlighted hair, 5'7” frame and eyes that create a cool demeanor around her, Han has been a key part of the 4-4-2 system for Abner Rogers' club.

It's a demeanor that goes back many years, to her childhood in the coastal town of Dalian, where she built her legacy.

Located in Liaoning Province, Dalian is renowned for its climate and beaches, and industries that include manufacturing, petrochemicals and electronics.

It is the home of Dalian Shide, one of the most storied clubs in China's Super League. It is on the grounds of the Jinzhou Stadium where national heroes like Zhang Enhua, Sun Jihai and Dong Fangzhuo were born.

Born June 15, 1983 in Dalian, Han was born to a father who embraced the beautiful game. At a young age, it was the bond between father and daughter that fortified her knowledge of the basic skills, the dribbling, the passing, and shooting.

In a feature for NBC, The Future Is Feminine, she owed her happiness to her father. “Football has given me so much pleasure and fun in life, which [many] other girls won't be able to experience.”

Such are the circumstances for many young women in China.

With its government scrutinized for its poor human rights record and limitations on many privileges the free world is blessed with, many of China's women envy how far Han had come. For her, football was an outlet, a way to break the chains that binded her.

It was her proverbial ticket to freedom.

Han first opportunity to pay her dues came in 1999, when she debuted for Dalian Shide, becoming one of the club's marquee players over the course of a decade. A year later, she made her debut for the national team, known to the world as the “Steel Roses,” in December 2000.

It was through her achievements with the Steel Roses where Han etched her legacy.

As a member of the national team, Han won an Algarve Cup in 2002, the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2006, the Women's East Asian Cup in 2008, top three finishes at the 2002 (Runners-Up) and 2006 (3rd) Asian Games, and quarterfinal appearances at the 2003 and 2007 FIFA Women's World Cups.

And Han has never been anything short of magnificent in finishing. At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, she led all scorers in the tournament with seven goals, her best individual scoring performance to date.

In 115 appearances, Han has scored 65 goals with the Steel Roses. She became the first player from China since Sun Wen in 2002 to rank among the top ten players in the world, finishing seventh in 2006.

Finally, after spending a decade with Dalian, Han signed with the Los Angeles Sol in 2009, the 3rd pick in the WPS International Draft.

Throughout her life, she has developed into a proven winner, a proven scorer, a student of her game and a person blessed with character that has proven to be her foundation for many years. All who follow the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season would be wise, then, to also follow the magic number 9 that is Han Duan.

Photo Credit: Quinn ISI photos