Interview with Fang Hao
Hard luck and good luck
China's 99-year-old U23 national football team defeated Thailand 4-2 in the second round of the Dubai Cup in the United Arab Emirates yesterday, achieving the first victory of this tournament. It was also the team's first international victory since a 2–1 win over Red Star Belgrade of Serbia in a colorful cup match in Kunming, Yunnan On 13 December 2019! Fang Hao completed the "hat trick" in the first half of this game, and finally staged the "Big Four Joy", which became the focus of the fans' hot discussion. After all, since the official establishment of the Chinese U23 national football team, few U23 players have staged the "big four joy" in international competitions, and Yang Xu, the last player of the Chinese national team to complete the "big four joy", was in the World Preliminary Round 40 against Bhutan in November 2015 and against Guam in October 2019. What is even more valuable is that Fang Hao's four goals were all scored in sports battles, and did not rely on penalties! After the game, Fang Hao himself appeared very humble in an interview with reporters, but said that he was "lucky" and "right".
Author: First of all, congratulations on completing the "Senior Year" and helping the team to a victory. Let's talk about what it feels like after scoring a goal.
Fang Hao: I must be happy! However, I really did not expect to score so many goals today, because I have not scored in a long time, so before I came out this time, I was holding my breath to score. In the warm-up match against Wahda, he should have scored, but failed to seize the opportunity and hit the goalpost. Today, we were able to win the game, first of all, I think we resolutely implemented the coach's pre-game deployment, that is, to put pressure on the opponent, to carry out high-pressure pressing in the front court, and today's goals are basically the result of high pressure. Of course, I can't help but say that my luck is too good, as if there is a way to hit the door.
Author: Before the game, head coach Jankovic asked you to win this game from the beginning of the match with the UAE, and also asked you to win big and win beautifully. What did he ask of you before today's game?
Fang Hao: It seems that there is no special request before today's game. But he has been stressing to us in the past two days, saying that the Thai team is not a very strong opponent, let us play our momentum, play our technical tactics, and go all out in the game to press high. Moreover, the coach also wants us to believe in ourselves, saying that the strength of the Thai team is not as strong as ours, not so strong, we must crush them! As for the specific tactical aspect, the coach said that the two center-backs on the other side were relatively slow, and asked me and (Chen) Guokang to insert themselves, and the whole team should hit them more behind them in the attack.
Author: It seems that Today, Jankovic arranged for you to play differently than before?
Fang Hao: Yes, today he asked me to return to the forward position, we are playing double forwards, mainly to use my speed and hit them behind. As a result, it is true that my luck was better today, and coupled with the fact that the opposing centre-back was relatively slow, I seized a few opportunities.
Author: If you say one or two goals, it may be luck, but today you score four in a row, it is not just luck, right? The point is that you took those few opportunities in front of the goal today too well, very calm, and didn't hesitate when shooting.
Fang Hao: Well, I really didn't hesitate, I myself feel that today is luck, "life" is coming, just like how to feel, how to play, how to have the kind. So I'm just saying that I'm really lucky today. I can only sigh that today's fate is too hard!
Author: Tell me about your four goals. The first ball, you grabbed it very firmly, cut straight inside, and it wasn't like you needed to pass in the first game against Wahda, and there was no one in front of you to defend. When you shoot, you don't hit the far corner, but directly choose to play the near corner.
Fang Hao: Yes, it's a bit like the ball when playing Wahda. To be honest, I didn't expect the opposing defender to be so slow, and I didn't expect to be able to grab it. But after grabbing it, I just used the speed to take it forward, and then I saw the goalkeeper standing in the far corner, and I hit the near corner. The ball that played Wahda, I actually played the near corner, but I didn't push as well as today, and maybe the angle was a little smaller, and today it was pushed quite accurately, and it was corrected.
Author: The second ball, the key is that you grabbed it too timely, and you chose the position of the ball at that time quite well.
Fang Hao: Not only is my position standing well, the key is that we all adopted the tactic of high pressing, and other teammates are also pressing hard, and I am in the position where I should be. At that time, there was a center-back on the other side, I was watching my teammates rushing forward, I didn't know what the Defender of the Thai team was thinking at that time, he kicked me with one kick, I took the ball, and then got rid of the opposing defender in front of me, and directly hit the goal. Because it was close to the door, I went straight in. ay! Today I really felt that the ball was coming to me, that is, my luck was really good, and I had the life to score goals.
Author: The third goal was a scuffle after the corner kick was sent out.
Fang Hao: Maybe I stood in a good position, after a scuffle, the ball bounced under my feet, I directly kicked it, it was really lucky! I can only say that it is my own fate, because you think, after I scored the first goal, like (Chen) Guokang in the small penalty area in front of the goal of the header should have, the result actually hit the goalpost did not score. And I'm so lucky that I got up on my feet.
Author: What about the fourth goal?
Fang Hao: That ball was stuffed by Liu Zhurun, and then I didn't know how to bounce up, and it bounced directly in front of me. Then, then I chased after it, and the opposing defender probably wasn't as good as me, so I stuck in a position, and then I went forward, and then the goalkeeper came out. The ball was actually a little bit bigger, I actually wanted to push the far corner, I didn't know what was going on, maybe the goalkeeper who attacked the other side had his legs apart, the gap was too big, and then I pushed, just past him. Originally, I wanted to push the far corner, after seeing the opposing goalkeeper attack, I couldn't do it, because I had a big trip, so I could only take the last step to grab a shot. I myself think the shot is quite reluctant, and I don't know how to wear the opposing goalkeeper's gear, and the ball is in.
Author: Your key today is that the foot wind is too smooth!
Fang Hao: Yes, it seems that the ball is bouncing on my feet, and then, how I shoot, how I have that feeling.
Author: After scoring this fourth goal, was it kicked by the opposing goalkeeper or knocked down? Because you're going to end up soon, is it an injury or something else?
Fang Hao: It's okay, it was hit on the knee by the opposing goalkeeper when shooting, it was a hard injury, and the problem was not big.
Author: Did head coach Yang Ke say anything to you after he came down?
Fang Hao: After the whole game, I didn't say anything. It was at halftime that he said to me. Because I had already scored three goals in the first half, he told me: the average player may be satisfied after scoring three goals, but the real strong, the real star will not relax after scoring three goals, and will continue to try to get to the next one. That's what he told me, let me not relax and continue to play well in the second half. In fact, he does not say, I also know that the first half of the three goals have been turned over, the second half I will continue to fight, as long as I stay on the field for one minute, I will work hard for one minute.
Author: From the goalpost against the Wahda team to the stage of "senior four" today, it seems that you have finally broken the window paper and suddenly "opened the trick"?
Fang Hao: The main thing is the trust of the coach, and it has always encouraged me to let me not be in a hurry. To be honest, I was in a bit of a hurry because I missed the chance to score goals since the first round of the Chinese Super League last year, and then I have been delayed in scoring goals all season. After coming here, the coach also told me to calm down and adjust my mentality, saying that I had done a good job in front of me, that is, I couldn't think too much when I was at the end of the door. I've been working in that direction as well. From my personal point of view, I hope that today's goals are a new start, continue to adjust their mentality, and then strive to score more goals, and I hope that our team can play well in this year's Asian Games. Only when the whole team is good can we go further.