After a long wait, I finally set foot on Henan soil, and my heart is full of gratitude. In particular, I would like to pay high tribute to the Henan Salon, whose tireless efforts have made it possible for me to return to the bosom of my motherland. I am overflowing with joy, and I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the Henan fans for their support!
This testimonial comes from the mouth of Henan Songshan Longmen foreign aid Ivo, who released a microblog on September 3, which was exceptionally low-key in the public opinion frenzy of the national team's victory in the first round of the 12-team tournament, but it still attracted a lot of attention, especially the enthusiastic retweeting and liking of Henan fans.
Ivo's return, which took place during the league break, was particularly touching against the backdrop of constant departures of players such as Guedes, Cirino, Long Dong and Bieira from the Chinese Super League. Henan not only welcomed Ivo, but also foreign aid Toure, who was injured in the first phase of the league. Their return signals that Henan will be more complete in its foreign aid configuration and is expected to make an all-out sprint to the top of the relegation group in the next stage of the league.
After the first stage of the league, all the players of Henan Songshan Longmen took a vacation, which is expected to end around the 20th of this month. During this time, the players enjoyed spending time with their families and also trained properly during the break. Two foreigners, Karanga and Dorado, chose to travel for their vacation, with Dorado taking his family to Dubai, while Karanga shared a video of his fun in Shanghai on social media, with both of them feeling very satisfied with their vacation.
Meanwhile, Ivo, who has only returned to the country after a grueling journey, has begun his rehabilitation after completing his isolation. Recently, he joined Toure in jogging and other recovery training at the Fanhai Stadium. For the fans, this is the first time they have seen their captain in more than nine months, while for Ivo himself, this is the first time he has practiced and played with the team in more than nine months. In order to better adapt to the rhythm of the second stage of the league and integrate into teamwork, he immediately went into training after isolation. The rest of the team has also been in touch with Ivo through social media, expecting his return to energize the midfield and provide more firepower for the front line.
Another surprise for Henan fans was that Toure, who was injured in the fourth round of the first phase, also trained at the Fanhai Stadium along with Ivo. Toure had been injured in the fourth round of the league against Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic and was diagnosed with a fracture of the base of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot after the match. Prior to that, he made four appearances and contributed a goal. After the injury, he missed the remaining 10 rounds of the first phase. During this period, the team's forward line was left with only two foreign aiders, Dorado and Karanga, and in the face of the intensive schedule, Javier could only rotate the use of the two. Undeniably, the team's offensive efficiency was affected, and the team scored only 13 goals in 14 matches, ranking second to last in the Guangzhou division in terms of goals scored.
With the arrival of the interregnum, many teams in the Chinese Super League have seen the release of their foreign aiders, making the originally less exciting league even more colorless. However, for Henan Songshan Longmen, Ivo's return and Toure's recovery from injury are undoubtedly the last important additions to the team's staffing.
In fact, judging from the second transfer, Henan did not bring in new players, but committed to building the existing player lineup and welcoming back Ivo, who is abroad. This is also to minimize the cost to complete the goal of the season. Of course, Ivo's return not only meets the technical and tactical needs, but also brings encouragement to the overall spirit of the team.
It is worth mentioning that Ivo's contract with Henan Songshan Longmen will expire on December 31 this year. Back in April this year, when Ivo was unable to return for some reason, there were speculations that he might not be able to return, on the one hand he is already 34 years old and on the other hand his contract is about to expire. However, Salon made a positive effort and Ivo himself cooperated, doing his best to return to China to play in the Chinese Super League. This "two-way street" suggests that the two sides will start negotiating a new contract when the next stage of the competition begins. The "King of the Sail" will need to perform better in the second stage of the relegation battle in order to secure more opportunities for himself.
