On June 2, Wang Shangyuan was interviewed by CCTV Football Night. Wang Shangyuan talked about the differences between the Chinese Super League and the national team, as well as his questions about the issues involved.
Talk about how players are better at club and why the national team falls short.
Wang Shangyuan: First of all, at the level of the national team, all the matches in the intercontinental competitions are particularly difficult to play. That's for sure. It's at a completely different pace than the club. Secondly, what you endure when you put on the national team shirt is different from what you endure.
Talking about penalty scales in international matches and leagues
Wang Shangyuan: That feeling is still evident. Perhaps in Intercontinental matches, the scale of penalties for such confrontations is relatively wide, which makes the matches more continuous and the intensity of the confrontations in the matches may be stronger. This could also be one of the reasons why intercontinental matches are harder to play than CSL. There has to be confrontation. If you don't have physical confrontation at the Asian level, I don't think you can play, so you should also switch between CSL and national teams. If you don't have experience, if you don't play soccer, you might get distracted at some point. I think that's the scariest thing. When you go back to CSL, you might communicate with the referee. Some of the balls were fouled. I don't think there was a foul. The referee said this kind of ball will not be blown in the Asian Cup. The fact is that soccer is confrontational before it is technical. If we just take technique, it's meaningless. Why is there a gap between us and the so-called strongest teams in terms of tempo and confrontation? The habit we may have developed since childhood is don't touch me. If you touch me, you commit a foul. If you let go of this thing, all confrontations run towards the ball, but if you get physical in the process, you develop a habit from a young age. It's a matter of perception. Maybe everyone takes their time. We can be as confrontational as the Europeans, including playing soccer. From the referee, to the coach, to the players, growing up in such an environment, all of our cognitive soccer should be like that.
Talking about the reasons for the poor performance of the national soccer team
Wang Shangyuan: The first point must be that you are not nine-tenths of the way there. To win a game. Your ability must not be enough. When the result is bad, mistakes will be made. Something on the Internet is also an objective fact. From lack of ability to poor form, there is a fear of difficulty. There is no way around it. We can only overcome it. If we play on the pitch, we can't avoid it. We should focus on the pitch. Even if we are scolded after the game, we should finish the game first. Pressure is always there. This could be my way of mediating the pressure.
Talking about the challenges of playing as a single back
Wang Shangyuan: I think when manager Ivan came to the national team, his formation change might not be just for me. If you talk about the diamond position of the four midfielders, each one may have different duties. I don't think which one is the best formation for us right now. Every formation needs to work to meet the manager's requirements, whether it's a diamond 4-4-2, a single back and a double back. Those are all later stories. No matter how good the tactics are, you should have 100% execution and do your best to implement them. Coach Ivan also told me that you often operate between the two main penalty areas, including two points of protection
