in the wake of
China Super League (soccer league)
The 5th round of the tournament came to an end with Yatai defeating Shenhua by a narrow margin of 1-0. After the match, the head coaches of the two teams attended a press conference.
Facing the game, Shenhua head coach Cui Kangxi first commented: "Despite the players' positive preparation after the last game, we were deficient in passing details and failed to capitalize on the chances we created. Despite the players' best efforts, unfortunately, the good atmosphere could not be carried over to this game. We look forward to making adjustments during the break and bringing our best to the next game. The players are proud of their defeat and the blame for the loss lies with me as head coach."
Talking about the impact of the interval on the team, Choi Kang-hee confessed, "Despite the frequent injuries, the players are still going all out and eager to win. We hope to adjust the injury situation as soon as possible through the interval and get ready for the next round of matches. Regarding the decision to replace Moreno early at halftime, I explained that Moreno suffered concussion symptoms in the collision with the goalkeeper, and despite ice packs, the situation was not optimistic, so he had to be replaced."
In response to the difference between his team's first half and second half performances, Choi Kang-hee noted, "We have fewer midfielders, especially missing Adrian, who should have created more chances on the side, but the passing details were not handled properly, which is something we need to fix as soon as possible."
Afterwards, Ateneo's head coach Chen Yang commented on the game: "I want to give credit to my players, who remained proactive and executed the pre-match setup despite their lack of strength. We anticipated that our opponents would implement man-to-man defense against our core player, Sergio, and we managed to create an opening in the midfield, using the forward assist from our center backs, and eventually Wang Peng scored. This victory also witnessed the largest number of fans since the tournament system. We are grateful to the Yatai fans who traveled all the way to the game and to the fans who cheered for Shenhua."
Talking about the team's defensive performance in five rounds and the current situation of the team, Chen Yang said bluntly, "Regarding the offensive end, we have been working hard. For a team to progress, both offense and defense should be synchronized. For a promoted team, survival is the priority and we have put a lot of energy into defense. In this game, Junior and the other foreigners are adapting to the rhythm of the Chinese Super League and the opponents' defensive strategies. The whole process can't be measured by stages alone, the players are improving in every game and the team is moving in a better direction, which is very gratifying for me."
Regarding the team's future expectations, Chen Yang said, "We have to focus on the process because we can only achieve good results if we keep working hard. We are doing detailed analysis, summarizing and learning every day in order to gain progress. The process is repeated every day and every week, and we hope the players can reach our requirements as soon as possible."
