As night falls, the stage for the Chinese Super League (CSL) bye match on August 15 will be the climax of a life-or-death duel between Shanghai Shenhua and Beijing Guoan. For Guoan, this is a must-win game if they want to be in the title contenders' group. If Shenhua can keep the draw, the top four of Group B will be in the bag. At the pre-match press conference, Shenhua's interim manager Mao Yijun said firmly: "The team has gone all out and vowed to compete with Guoan."
Talking about the team's preparation, Mao Yijun sounded firm: "We will face a crucial game tomorrow, and the whole team is well aware of the importance of this event. Every player is fully prepared for this most crucial battle at this stage."
Reporter's question: "Shenhua can enter the group of title contenders with a draw, in such a situation, are you worried that the players' mentality is not unified?"
Mao Yijun responded, "The outside world is always helping me to analyze all kinds of situations, but I've never thought about it from that perspective. For me, every game we go all out for victory and prepare for this game for that reason. My players are also clear about my instructional thinking."
When talking about the performance of the opponent Beijing Guoan in the recent two games, Mao Yijun analyzed, "Based on the current situation, I can also foresee certain situations tomorrow. We will make targeted arrangements and develop tactical strategies. I will make sure that the players' minds are unified."
