November 1, the wind rose in Croatia, Tao Qianglong in a foreign country to accept the Madsen reporter's interview, talked about the experience of training with the national youth.
--Tao Qianglong, what are the different feelings of this trip to Croatia?
"Speaking of which, it was a pleasant surprise to come to Croatia this time. Originally I was not on the list, but I was contacted by director Cheng (Cheng Yaodong) when the selection team was training in Japan. At that time I was still in Japan, unprepared, so I went back to isolation with the team and came immediately after two days of rest. Here, we played about 10 matches, mainly against teams from the second division. By comparing the match points and post-game stats, I realized that I have improved significantly in terms of confrontation and tempo."
-Having stayed in Croatia for a long time, what do you think about the soccer atmosphere here?
"Mr. Wang (Eddie Wang) had told me that there is a large registered population and a wide range of league levels. I had gone to play a team in the fourth division, and I was impressed by the soccer atmosphere there, the players' fighting spirit and their attitude towards soccer. In comparison, the atmosphere and awareness of soccer in the country doesn't seem to be comparable to here."
--If you had to choose, would you prefer to stay in Tri-Town or compete with the National Youth Team?
“我当然希望 wherever there's a match, I'll be there, because I want to play more games. If I keep playing as a substitute at home, it doesn't make much sense.”
-So you have played in Japan, how do you think the atmosphere there is different from Croatia?
"I think playing in Japan seems to be more sensational."
--What exactly does that feel like?
"I was in a prefecture in Japan that was part of a small town under a big city that had a dozen teams in total. With so many teams in such a small town, I think there must be more people playing soccer in Japan than here."
-So what about the style of play?
"The style of play is certainly different. The Japanese team and players are more technical and conductive than Croatia. The intensity of the game, especially the intensity of confrontation, is quite excellent in Croatian soccer. Also, their players handle the ball with determination, never dragging their feet. But Japan may be more focused on passing, including more overall requirements, how to run the position, the timing of the pass, the weight of the pass, and so on, all require a lot, I deeply understand."
-Three Town are in a pretty good position to win the Premier League this year, what are your plans when you get back?
"If you can win the title, of course it's best to go all out for it. As a player, I'm certainly not thinking first about playing more or less this year, but the team and club's goals are the main focus. Right now, we have to go all out for first place. Moreover, the competition in the Super League is fierce this year and there are some injuries in the team, so if I can play, I still want to keep in good shape and help the team achieve its goal."
