On the night of Shenhua's home match against Qingdao Hainiu, this matchup was undoubtedly one of Shenhua's toughest of the season. Despite having the advantage of home field, the absence of Teixeira and Amadou made the team's midfield look weak, and both offense and defense showed concerns. In the forward line, Malele and Luiz seemed to be alone most of the time. However, in the midst of adversity, there is always a hero who steps forward to unlock the code of victory for Shenhua, and he is Jiang Shenglong, the "team grass" in the hearts of the fans.
With his slender figure and handsome face, Jiang Shenglong gradually showed his maturity and steadiness on the field, winning the favor of Shenhua fans, especially female fans. In every home game, fans wearing No. 4 jersey could always be seen in the stands of Shanghai Stadium cheering for him. With this passion in mind, Jiang Shenglong expressed his hope to repay the fans' trust with better performances and more trophies. And last night, he honored his promise. Qingdao Manatee, on their road trip in the Chinese Super League standings, unsurprisingly set up a solid "iron bucket formation", which Shenhua's offense found difficult to break through for a while. In the first half, the team's offense was weak, and in the second half, although the speed was increased, many players were too impatient and failed to calmly control the ball. Amadou's absence coupled with this mentality allowed the opponent's offensive line to find a breakthrough. Just when Bao Yaxiong's 74th-minute misplaced pass almost caused Shenhua to fall behind, Jiang Shenglong stepped up and used his long legs to become Shenhua's last guardian. His clearance not only defused the crisis, but also made Shenhua's backline solid again. In the 88th minute, Jiang Shenglong broke the deadlock by stealing the ball from the opponent's goalkeeper, and scored the 1,500th goal for Shenhua in the history of the team. After the goal, he slipped and fell on the pitch in excitement, shouted loudly to release the pressure and showed his love to his family in the stands with his hands. He is the pillar of Shenhua's defense and a good husband in the family. After the game, Jiang Shenglong said bluntly, "As a defender, we are at home, we will never let the other team score easily, nor will we let the other team score easily." He also consoled his teammates, saying that mistakes are inevitable in defense, but other players will make up for it. On his 1,500th goal in team history, he humbly said, "I'm honored to have scored for the team. I hope that every game in the future, we can work together and move forward to the goal." Jiang Shenglong's rapid growth at Shenhua has allowed him to not only win the F.A.C. Cup and the Super Cup, but also provide crucial help to the team at key moments, whether as a defender or a guest striker. He is at the peak of his career and is eager to win more honors for Shenhua. In the future, if the time is right and the opportunity comes, he looks forward to spreading his wings and flying on a wider stage.
