In the 25th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) on September 13th, Qingdao West Coast won 1-0 against the powerful Shandong Taishan on the road with excellent defense and toughness. After the match, West Coast's manager Shao Jiayi attended the press conference and gave an in-depth analysis and summary of this hard-won victory.
Shao first emphasized the toughness of the game: "It was a very important and tough game. In the second half, we hardly had any chances, which can be described with the word 'torment'. It is true that we played uncomfortably throughout the game against such a strong opponent, but I think this is normal because we were facing one of the best teams in the Chinese Super League. In this situation, the first thing we have to do is to stabilize our defense, which is the key for us to be able to get the victory."
Although the team faced great pressure in the second half, Shao Jiayi still recognized the team's performance: "I must say that Shandong Taishan was not very lucky today, and they didn't grasp at least three or four sure-fire chances in the second half. But this also reflects our team's efforts and concentration on the defensive side. This game is another test of our team, we are doing better and better in the overall aspect, more and more mature."
Shao Jiayi couldn't hide his excitement at being able to beat such a strong opponent on the road: "It's very encouraging for us as a team to beat such a strong team on the road. This win not only improves our standings, but more importantly, it gives us great confidence psychologically. I believe that after this game, our team will be more confident, more united, and well prepared for the upcoming matches."
Looking ahead, Shao said the team will make every effort to sprint to the relegation target: "The next five rounds of matches are crucial for us. We will use this victory as a motivation to continue to carry forward the spirit of hard work and play well to achieve our relegation task. I believe that as long as we keep this momentum and form, we will be able to accomplish our goal."
