The first round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) playoffs will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Beijing time on January 8, when Dalian People will face Chengdu Rongcheng. In the pre-match press conference, Chengdu Rongcheng manager Xu Zhengyuan and player Gan Rui made a full appearance.
Facing the upcoming match, Xu Zhengyuan said confidently, "After the fourth stage of rest and recuperation, our preparation is quite good." Gan Rui added, "We had nearly two weeks of adjustment time, and after returning to Chengdu, we were fully adjusted both physically and psychologically, and the players felt well-prepared for the match and well-prepared in all aspects."
Talking about the team's injuries, Xu Zhengyuan revealed, "Our injuries are mainly centered on Li Jianbin, and even though he is recovering well, I think we need to continue to observe."
In addition, regarding Suzhou's bitterly cold climate, Xu Zhengyuan said, "This is the first time this season that we are playing in the winter, but as far as the climate is concerned, Suzhou is comparable to Chengdu."
Talking about the team's offensive ability, Xu Zhengyuan said, "Soccer games can't be the same every game, and the situation will be different when facing different opponents. We are the team that scored the most goals in the Central League, and I believe that the strength of our offensive line can be played out in the play-offs."
Referring to the opponent Dalian, Xu Zhengyuan commented: "Dalian is a very good team, this season they have a lot of changes, despite the initial ranking is not high, but the second phase of the players showed a good competitive state. I've been following their starting eleven and I think they're all very good players and a strong team. These two extra games will definitely not be easy, and Dalian has its own shortcomings. As long as we work together, I believe we can get a good result and bring back to Chengdu."
