Last night's home match against Qingdao Hainiu should have been one of Shenhua's most uncomfortable games so far this season. While they were in the right place at the right time, the absence of two core wide players in Teixeira and Amadou left the team with a poorly-run midfield that was a concern on both the offensive and defensive ends of the field. The forward pairing of Malale and Luiz was a bit lonely most of the time. Fortunately, in difficult moments, there is still someone who stands out for Shenhua to open the door to victory. He is the "team grass" Jiang Shenglong.
Tall stature, handsome face and increasingly mature and stable performance on the pitch have made Jiang Shenglong very popular among Shenhua fans, especially among female fans. In every home game, fans wearing No. 4 jerseys can be seen in the stands of Shanghai Stadium cheering for Jiang. Jiang Shenglong remembers the enthusiastic support from his fans. He also said many times that he wanted to repay the trust with better performance and more trophies. Last night, he fulfilled the promise.
Last night's battle, in the Super League table downstream of the Qingdao Manatee, unsurprisingly set up "iron bucket formation", but Shenhua's offense was repeatedly stuck. The first half of the collective "lost speed", the second half of the acceleration, many players overly hasty, not calm enough to deal with the ball. This mentality and the absence of Amadou, so that the opponent's offensive line found an opportunity. Bao Yaxiong's missed pass in the 74th minute almost put Shenhua behind. Before Wang's shot rolled into the goal, Jiang Shenglong stretched out his long legs to be the last line of defense for Shenhua. This time, the clearance not only solved the crisis, but also allowed Shenhua to play again in the back.
Jiang Shenglong brought more surprises to Shenhua fans. In the 88th minute, "Team Grass" caught the opponent's goalkeeper's attacking mistake and shot the goal smartly at the back point. It was a goal that broke the deadlock and was the 1,500th official goal in Shenhua's history. After the goal, Jiang Shenglong enthusiastically slipped and fell on the pitch, roaring to vent his inner pressure. Then he compared his love with his hands and scored for his family who were watching the game from the stands. He is an essential tough guy in Shenhua's defense and a good husband who cares about his family.
"As a defender, we're playing at home, we're not going to let anyone take away points easily, and I'm not going to let the other team score easily." After the game, Jiang Shenglong uttered such bold words. Then he didn't forget to take the pressure off his teammates, saying that mistakes will inevitably be made on the defense, but the other players on the field will make up for it. As for the landmark 1,500th goal in the team's history, Jiang said lightly, "I'm honored to score for the team. I hope that in every game in the future, everyone will work together towards the goal."
Jiang Shenglong has grown rapidly at Shenhua, winning the AFC Cup and Super Cup. What's more valuable is that "Team Grass" can always help the team in critical moments, whether he is playing as a defender or a striker. He is now in the prime of his career and is eager to fight for higher honors for Shenhua. If the time is right and the opportunity is right in the future, he is looking forward to moving to a wider stage.
