At 1530 hours Beijing time on June 29th.
China Super League (soccer league)
In a match in the 7th round of the league in Dalian, Shanghai Seaport and
Shanghai Shenhua (soccer team)
A highly anticipated Shanghai derby took place. In the end, the two sides drew with a score of 1-1. After the match, Shanghai Seaports head coach Leko attended the press conference.
Leko began his comments on the match by admitting, "It was an exciting game, full of penalties, VAR and many other elements, and we are satisfied with the 1-1 scoreline. Shenhua did have chances to end the game, but Yan Junling pounced on the crucial penalty and his performance was perfect. We were also lucky, of course, such luck can't be separated from the hard work of the players. One point today is crucial for us, thanks to the hard work of the players."
Speaking about the team conceding a goal in the first half, Leko said, "That was just an emotional reaction on the field at the time, and I'm not going to fault the players specifically for their mistakes when they come down. I'm happy with the effort the players put in and won't overreact or blame them for their mistakes."
Commenting on Yu Hai's play, Leko said, "Basogo played very well and it was very tough for Yu Hai to defend him. We had some difficulties defending against him, not only Yu Hai, but the whole team had trouble restricting him. Yu Hai is a role model for many players to follow and I appreciate his performance whether he plays or not."
