Li Ang's strong addition to Shanghai Seaport has sparked a lot of buzz in the soccer world.
On the night of March 14th, Shanghai Harbour Club announced that Li Ang, Du Jia and Abraham Halek were joining the club as internal reinforcements and the news quickly hit the microblogging hot search. In just two hours, the transfer news quickly detonated the network.
International Li Ang is in the spotlight as a new recruit - he has just won the Chinese Super League and joins Harbour Club with his first career trophy and international status.
"Winning against Shanghai is the only way to be confident of winning the title."
The day of the interview with Li Ang was two weeks before the opening of the Chinese Super League season.
Shanghai Harbour steadily prepares for the game with daily training at 11am sharp, with players mostly arriving at the base around 9:30am for breakfast in the restaurant before warming up on their own.
Li Ang, a newcomer to the team, also greeted team officials, team doctors and teammates with ease, not feeling unfamiliar with his new surroundings.
It was in this relaxed atmosphere that his conversation with the surfer began. The conversation naturally started with last year's league championship.
Before the start of the 2020 season, I'm afraid no one believed Jiangsu Suning could become league champions, and Li Ang himself didn't have the confidence to win the title before the tournament.
"From the moment we entered the title contenders' group to play Chongqing, head coach Olaroyo created a relaxed atmosphere, with a good mentality from both local players and foreigners. Olaroyo didn't say he wanted to win the title, but he conveyed the feeling that 'we can contend'."
What really made Li Ang feel that he had a chance to compete for the title was the two-legged semifinal match against Shanghai Hong Kong, "Shanghai Hong Kong is stronger than Suning, and in the past Suning has won less and lost more. After defeating Shanghai Hong Kong with great difficulty, we began to believe that we have a chance to win the title, after all, there are only the last two matches left, so we definitely have to fight for it."
Due to the accumulation of yellow card suspension, the second round of the final match with Evergrande, Li Ang could not play, he sat in the stands to watch the whole game, he said it was more nervous than he played on the field, "the first half before the end of the first goal when I think it is not safe, after all, Evergrande strength is still strong. Waiting for Teixeira to score the second goal, plus one more person, the mood only slightly relaxed."
When the heavy gold medal hanging on his neck, Li Ang realized how heavy it really is, he lamented that Jiangsu is not like many soccer developed provinces, this championship is really very difficult.
"It's very significant, a milestone so to speak, and the championship is a very important reward for those who have worked so hard for Jiangsu soccer over the years, and for us as players."
For individuals, native Jiangsu people help Jiangsu to get the league title, there is no more satisfying ending than this, "Jiangsu people help Jiangsu to get the title, this is a very proud thing. In fact, I personally thought about it, may be easier to get the title in other teams, but in Jiangsu team play more comfortable, more atmosphere." Li Ang told the surging news reporter said.
"The matter of Suning's unpaid wages was never considered."
Compared to the hard-earned nature of this championship, it is the sudden disappearance of the Jiangsu Football Club that makes people doubly sorry.
In this regard, Li Ang also has some feelings, "may not know how many more years in the future, to be able to get such a title again."
In fact, during the course of the season, the news about the Suning team's salary arrears was a secret, but the players didn't actually take it seriously, "What is owed to us will be given, so there was no negative mentality in the game. There are not many chances to win a championship in a professional career, we didn't even think about this job (salary arrears), and it didn't have any impact on the team."
It wasn't until the end of the league that more negative rumors began to surface and the players had to wait at home for news, but none of us expected the current situation to happen either ......
Until the Spring Festival, Jiangsu team still did not focus on preparing for the new season, the players gradually realized that perhaps the separation has been inevitable.
Many had prepared their farewell speeches in advance, and the feelings of local man Li Ang were perhaps unlike any other player.
"At the age of thirteen, accompanied by my father, I entered the ranks of the Provincial Football Association. Seven years in the base spent the most important stage of enlightenment, did not compete for honors, and got into a lot of trouble, but they still train me as their own children. Thank you Jiangsu for cultivating me!"
"Stepped into the pro game for the first time in 2014 and will never forget it. Experienced 211 matches and had the honor of getting two championship trophies with my brothers and team! Sincere thanks to Jiangsu fans for their support, gratitude and companionship. Jiangsu is my root and my home. Best wishes to Jiangsu soccer and to my teammates and staff who have fought with one heart. The green mountains will not change, the green water will flow forever, and the friendship will last forever!"
Speaking of these written goodbyes, Leon's tone, somewhat downcast.
"Looking forward to another league title at the Harbor."
Leaving his hometown for the not-so-distant city of Shanghai, the new life is both more exciting and more reassuring for Leon.
"Adapting was pretty quick, my teammates were better to communicate with and the head coach's tactics were able to be adapted for me."
The same is the 1993 age group players, Li Ang and Fu Huan, Yang Shiyuan and others have participated in two National Games, only compared to the Shanghai team once into the top eight, a championship results compared to the results of the Jiangsu team where Li Ang is not good, but this does not hinder the establishment of friendship between this batch of people of the same age.
Coupled with national teammates such as Stanley Wang and Yan Junling, Li Ang admits - there is no problem integrating into the harbor.
In order to welcome several new players to join the harbor before the whole team also had a reunion, together to the Bund a net red restaurant dinner, the players took a group photo, everyone also sent a circle of friends, Li Ang also especially mentioned the new captain Oscar usually training and the game is very big to help him.
Interestingly, Li Ang joined the seaport, the earliest is "teammates announced" - Oscar in the salon before the official announcement of the first two people posted a photo on social media, "Hello, little friend."
"The club is very professional, stable and also has ambitious ambitions and goals." Li Ang, who came to Harbour with the Chinese Super League title, hopes to reach the peak of the league again with his new owners, "I hope to win another title in these two years, there are so many good players in the team, and we are all in the most mature period of our careers at our age, so I think it's a very good time for these two years."
Li Ang especially mentioned many of the club's young players, a detail is that he accurately said the names of many young players, "Xiao Jia (Bo Diem), Chen Chunxin, Niemeng, (Zhang) Huachen, they are very characteristic of the young players, I hope that they can quickly progress, quickly play the game, and we work together for the team to dedicate their strength. "
"You have to be nice to your family."
Perhaps the only difference between the days in Shanghai and Nanjing for Leon is that there isn't a home here for a while.
As he is destined to go through the tournament system of the league and the national team's intercontinental competitions this year, Li Ang feels that renting a room may not be cost-effective, and he chooses to stay in a hotel. His wife is pregnant with their second child, and all prenatal checkups must take place in Nanjing, so it's not convenient for him to come to Shanghai during this period, and Li Ang can only return to Nanjing on his own when he has time.
Local reporters in Jiangsu who are familiar with Li Ang revealed that Li Ang is very emotional and treats his family well.
"That has to be good for the family." Li Ang said this slightly coy, in 2014 just kicked the task force began, Li Ang will be in Xuzhou home mom and dad received in Nanjing. Now his mom and dad and Yue's mom and dad live in a neighborhood, which makes it easy to take care of each other.
"They are very clear division of labor, mother-in-law at night with small children to sleep, my mother in the morning to pick up the big baby out to play, and then the noon meal is also eaten here in my mom." Speaking to the surging news reporter about his family, Li Ang a happy face.
"Serving one's country does not require mobilization."
Aside from having to represent Seaport in the Chinese Super League, perhaps even more important for Li Ang this year is the national team competition.
Previously, under the accounts of Pelan and Lippi, it was difficult for Li Ang to get a chance. However, the current national football coach Li Tie very much trust Li Ang, from the end of 2019 East Asian Cup, Li Ang has become a regular player in the national team lineup, and then the entire 2020 season, Li Ang has not missed the national team training.
With the World Qualifying 40 approaching, and Zhang Linpeng and Jiang Guangtai both now facing injuries, Li Ang is relatively far ahead in the national team's center back starting order.
"In terms of what I want for myself now, I'm very clear. I don't know about others, my own requirement is that the mission of the national team is probably a bit heavier now. I think it should be to build on the league and go for better national team games."
Li Ang's statement, to some extent, and the previous chairman of the Harbour Club Zhang Min "this year's national team mission is better than the club's" statement is consistent.
From the previous warm-up matches, Li Ang basically occupies the main left center back position in the three center backs, and has also played such a system in Jiangsu Olaoluoyu before.
"In the national soccer team is to do your best to play the game, listen to the coach, prepare yourself as well as anytime you are ready to play, contribute to the team, and play with all your strength if you can play."
Li Ang also remembers when he was a child playing soccer, many of the slogans on the wall is to play for the country, "in the Jiangsu All-China Football Team
