On the morning of June 14, the Chinese men's soccer team held its fourth outdoor training session at the secondary field of the Barracuda Bay Professional Stadium in Dalian, which was also the first training session open to the media. Before the start of the training, naturalized player Eckerson was interviewed by the media. Eckerson said he is motivated to return to the national soccer team. Because he is back to the position he knows and loves in the club and national team, he is very eager to score more goals for the national team.
Reporter: How did you feel about participating in the torch relay of the Universiade?
Exxon: I'm really happy to have this opportunity. Thank you very much (the organizers) for inviting me as a representative to an event like this and it's a great pleasure to be at an event like this with elite athletes. This is a particularly glorious moment for me and my family.
Reporter: The last time the national soccer team did not train for a long time, how does it feel to be back this time?
AIXON: The mood is exciting, especially motivated. This time I can fully follow (the training) and this time I have a friendly match, so I'm also looking forward to playing and scoring more goals. With my teammates, I also hope that this training will go very well and will lead to more victories.
Reporter: Communication with head coach's offense, understanding of plays
Eckerson: Yeah, we have a lot of communication, basically every day, especially in the hotel and on the practice field. I think now I'm playing a position that I know and like very well. It's not the same as it used to be. And, I think it's going to make me play better in the tournament. I also hope to have better cooperation and bonding with my teammates this time and win more exciting games to reward our fans. I also hope that our fans will support us more.
Reporter: Your new position will help you score more goals, can we expect a big win?
Eckerson: My position this time around, which feels closer to the Canton era, is basically the No. 9 position. They'll be playing with more flexibility, more freedom, and support from two teammates. So after talking to the coaches or going back to a position that they're more familiar with and especially used to. I think it will make me more comfortable to play and score probably more goals. Of course, anything can happen in the game and I still hope I can get more goals and get a big win. I also hope that all the fans will come to such a beautiful stadium to support us.
