After winning the title of the best goalkeeper in the Chinese Super League for two consecutive months, Bao Yaxiong was interviewed by the official Chinese Super League to share his journey, his feelings about the game and his outlook for the future.
On consecutive awards: Bao Yaxiong expressed satisfaction with his performance, saying that the overall performance was stable, with only two goals conceded in two months and no major mistakes. He particularly mentioned the match against Chengdu Rongcheng, in which the team quickly adjusted to the situation and eventually equalized the score to maintain their undefeated record in the season, even though they fell behind due to an oolong goal in the first half. The game not only tested the team's resilience, but also showed Bao Yaxiong's calmness and decisiveness in critical moments.
Praised for his ability to pounce: For pouncing on Felipe's penalty kick, Bao Yaxiong modestly gave part of the credit to goalkeeping coach Li Shuai. He said that Li Shuai conducts targeted research on opponents' penalty takers before each game and improves his success rate through training. This teamwork is undoubtedly an important reason why Bao Yaxiong was able to save the day at a critical moment.
Cooperation with Li Shuai: Bao Yaxiong highly evaluated the communication and cooperation with Li Shuai. He believes that Li Shuai has helped him a lot in terms of game experience, and made him understand the duties and positioning of the goalkeeper more clearly. Li Shuai not only imparted a wealth of technical and tactical knowledge, but also taught Bao Yaxiong how to make the best judgment in different situations, which is crucial for the growth of young goalkeepers.
Future Improvement Direction: Bao Yaxiong is aware that he still has room for improvement, especially in the areas of basic skills, the ability to play the ball at the feet, the control of the ball, and catching the high ball for strikes. He said he will continue to train hard to improve his comprehensive ability.
The Decision to Play Goalkeeper: Talking about his decision to switch from center back to goalkeeper, Bao Yaxiong thanked his coach for his advice and trust. He believes that he has the advantage of height and reflexes, and that a goalkeeper with previous playing experience may have an advantage in timing and anticipation. This decision not only allowed Bao Yaxiong to make great progress in his career, but also contributed an excellent goalkeeper to the Chinese soccer world.
Talent and hard work go hand in hand: Bao Yaxiong modestly said that being able to play in the Chinese Super League is not all about talent, but more about luck and the help of coaches. He believes that the excellent coaches he met at each stage played a key role in his growth. At the same time, he also admits that he has some advantages in terms of body shape, but this cannot be separated from his parents' good sports genes and heredity.
Healthy Competition with Ma Zhen: Regarding the healthy competition with teammate Ma Zhen, Bao Yaxiong said it is an integral part of professional soccer. He believes that competition can stimulate the potential of both sides and push each other to achieve greater breakthroughs at the competitive level. He looks forward to contributing to the development of Chinese soccer together with Ma Zhen.
National Team Outlook: Although he was selected for the national team before but failed to get a chance to play, Bao Yaxiong was not discouraged. He thanked the national team coach Ivan for his encouragement and support, and said that he will maintain his good condition and be ready to accept the call of the national team. As for the expectation of becoming the first choice of the national team goalkeeper in the future, Bao Yaxiong said that age is not the deciding factor, strength is the key. He will continue to train hard and fight tirelessly to achieve this goal.
