In the upcoming 20th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL), Nantong Zhiyun will be the visiting team to challenge Shanghai Harbor, the strongest team in the current CSL. Facing such a tough battle, Nantong Zhiyun's head coach David Patricio gave a frank introduction of the team's preparation and challenges in the pre-match press conference.
Patricio began by noting that the preparation for this match was extremely challenging. He had to make some adjustments to the lineup due to some unanticipated injuries after the last round of the tournament. Nonetheless, he still said that he would give the players who usually get less playing time a chance to show their strength in front of a strong team.
Talking about the opponent Shanghai Seaport, Patricio spoke highly of them, saying that they are in the leading position in the Chinese Super League in terms of individual ability and overall strength, especially in the offensive end of the aggression is very strong. However, he also emphasized that Nantong Zhiyun will go all out to fight this game, hoping that at the end of the game, both players and fans will be proud of the players who fought on the field.
In terms of tactical arrangements, Patricio revealed the team's strategy. He said that although Shanghai Seaport is very strong in the creation of scoring chances and the number of goals scored, Nantong Zhiyun will not adopt a conservative defensive strategy, but will aggressively fight for the ball and challenge their opponents. Their strategy is to push the defensive line higher while creating threats to their opponents in the attacking third in the hope of getting a good result in the match.
In addition, Patricio candidly answered questions about the team's injury situation, saying that a few players will be out of action for a longer period of time, but that the team will do its best to overcome these difficulties and go all out to prepare for the game.
Player representative Wei Lai also said at the conference that although Nantong Zhiyun's current results are not very satisfactory, the whole team is very united and has already carried out targeted training under the leadership of the head coach. They are well aware of the strength of the Shanghai Harbor team, but will do their best to get a good result.
