Shanghai Shenhua fell to city rivals Shanghai Harbor 2-3 in a heated semifinal match of the CFA Cup, missing out on the final. After the match, Shenhua's head coach Slutsky attended a press conference and reflected deeply on the match.
Slutsky began by saying, "Hello everyone. This game was indeed an even contest, with both sides showing great strength and fighting spirit. However, in a match, whoever is able to make fewer mistakes and better capitalize on their chances will often win the game. Unfortunately, we didn't do as well as the other team today in terms of making mistakes and seizing opportunities, especially after the equalizer, and we had chances in the second half that we couldn't capitalize on, which led to the final unfavorable result."
In response to a reporter's question about the defense, Slutsky responded, "Conceded goals are an inevitable part of the game and they happen sometimes by accident. I think our defensive system as a whole is solid, but we did have some problems today. However, we can't simply blame the defense because the game of soccer is holistic and requires the entire team to work together. I will analyze the game footage with the team to find out what went wrong and improve on it in future practices."
When asked about Teixeira's injury, Slutsky looked a little worried: "Teixeira's situation is really tricky. His injury is somewhere between the possibility of a serious injury and the possibility that not using him for a while might help his recovery. It's a very delicate balance. If we take the risk of using him, it may cause more serious damage to his body and even affect his career. Therefore, we need to be careful with his injuries and make sure that he is able to make a full recovery before returning to the field."
