On the evening of August 12, in the 14th round of the Chinese Super League, Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, who played in a rotational lineup, finally lost to the all-out Shanghai Shenhua due to a penalty 0-1. Although the result of the game was regrettable, the players did a good job of completing the tactical requirements of the coaching staff in the game, and fought with Shenhua to the last moment with the spirit of not giving up, which was gratifying enough. It is worth mentioning that just before the start of the game, the Jinmen Tigers also had a good news - Barton was selected for the latest national team training list, and he will have the opportunity to represent China in the World Preliminary Round of 12.
In the match against Shenhua, Barton appeared on the right side of the road relatively rarely this season, although the position has changed, but his positive fighting and all-out attitude in the game has not changed at all, and he almost assisted U23 youngster Li Haoran in the first half. On the offensive end of the Jinmen Tigers, the "all-rounder" Barton can create a threat no matter where he is placed. Of course, Barton can have such an eye-catching performance, in addition to his super technical ability, the first time to be selected for the national team is also an important reason for his motivation. After the game, when he talked about his feelings of being selected for the national football team, he exuded irrepressible joy.
Barton
Tianjin Jinmen Tigers football team member
Before the Chinese Football Association issued the list, people with national team management informed us. I must be very happy, very excited, and I think that even if I give myself a surprise, this is also an affirmation of my efforts in the game.
Barton will turn 26 in September, and this season he came to the Tsumen Tigers on loan, but it became a major turning point in his career. Since the beginning of the 2019 season, Barton, who lost his U23 player status, has only made 23 appearances and only 6 starts in two seasons. That's a far cry from his debut in 2017, when he started 17 games in a season and averaged 75 minutes per game. With the desire and determination to re-prove himself in Tsumen, Barton cherished every opportunity to play, and it was precisely because of this "but hard work, do not ask about the harvest" that led to today's surprise.
I really didn't think about being selected for the national football team before, because this year my goal for myself is to play every game well and then strive for better statistics. Because I am on loan, one is to prove myself, and the other is to hope that I can have a better performance and give back to the fans and the coach. Now being selected for the national football team is indeed a big surprise for me.
Coming to a completely unfamiliar team in the year of playing, Barton did not waste exponentially more playing time, he quickly became the main force of the team and became the favorite of Jinmen fans. Barton's perfect transformation is inseparable from his own efforts, of course, but also from the trust and support of the coaching staff. In the first stage of the league, Barton's bravery on the field and the scene of single riding through the barrier were impressive, but his missed single knife and the goal account that could not be opened for a long time also made people anxious for him. In the offseason, coach Yu Genwei laughed and said that he wanted to teach him how to shoot, and it was the targeted training that allowed Barton to find the feeling of scoring in the second stage of the game. In the battle with Wuhan, in almost the same position, Barton made up for the regret of missing a single knife in the previous game against Yatai with a world wave, and this goal also made people see his growth. Barton, who is diligent on the court, maintains a humble attitude off the court, saying bluntly that his progress is due to his coaches and teammates.
First of all, I must thank Yu Genwei for his help, affirmation, and trust in me. Because before coming to this team at the beginning of the year, I may not have thought of being able to enter the national team, but after coming, I found that Yu Zong, including the players and coaches in the team, helped me a lot, and they also helped me a lot on the field, so I performed well and also had a lot to do with them.
Barton's diligence and hard work not only impressed Yu Genwei and Tianjin fans, but also impressed the national football coach Li Tie. As a striker, Barton has played almost all positions in the midfield this season in the Zinmen Tigers, but no matter where he appears, he can use his flexible running position and active scrambling to create scoring opportunities for his teammates, although the data of 1 goal and 2 assists is not eye-catching, but anyone who has watched the Zinmen Tigers game knows that Barton's role in the team is irreplaceable, and even on the field, every opponent regards him as a key target. After half a season of training, Barton has now become the core of the Jinmen Tigers, and his self-confidence has been greatly improved while growing and maturing rapidly.
I feel that when I came to this group, I may have a great improvement in my self-confidence, and I feel that playing football is more mature than before. In the past, the game may be played less, and some balls are less mature in handling, but now because of the accumulation of the game, it has become more mature, and it will be easier to play on the field, and its own characteristics can be played more clearly.
The first time he was selected for the national football team, Barton also set a goal for himself in addition to excitement, just like when he came to Jinmen Tiger, he will still use the hard work in training and competition to win the trust of the coaching staff by proving his own way.
I think the goal of this national football team is to go with a learning attitude, and then cherish every training class, if there is any warm-up game or friendly match, etc., to be able to fully play out their own characteristics, so that the coaching team can trust me more.
Barton's selection of the national football team is not only the reward for his efforts, but also the best embodiment of the fighting spirit that Jinmenhu has always emphasized in the game. Every player can play without giving up lightly, fight until the last moment, and everyone can gain growth in breaking through the limits again and again. Through nearly half a season of polishing, jinmen tigers forged with such spiritual strength have been transforming a little bit after improving their physical fitness, skills and tactics. With a set of rotational lineups against Shenhua, although it was regrettably defeated in the end, it also allowed the main force of the team to get a rest at the same time, and the players who came on the bench did not give up at the last moment of the game, and actively fought on the field and looked for opportunities, which also allowed them to gain confidence.
I think Tan Wangsong Tang Ge does not need me to say, one is the age here, and then also played the whole field, for me, I think Tan Ge more often, the role in the team is no longer a player, sometimes including to give everyone encouragement, play the kind of leading role that the old players should play. Wang Zhenghao against Shenhua is the first time we have kicked a side, and it is also the first time to cooperate. I think he's confident first of all, he's playing really well, basically the threats are on the right side of him and me, so I think he has a lot of room to improve. This ball looks down, in fact, everyone's cohesion, including the fighting spirit on the field has played a role, first of all, there is no policy of losing the team, we feel that we still have to be more united and more cohesive, so that no matter who you meet on the field, you will have a good play.
Tan Wangsong
Assistant coach and player of Tianjin Jinmen Tiger Football Team
This ball is played well, the first is that everyone is very unified, very resolute to implement the technical and tactical arrangements arranged by the coach, and the second, I think it is inseparable from the hard training of the substitute players every day, because we all know that the substitute players are not easy, because he has relatively few games before, but he has to maintain a relatively good competitive state, then maybe his usual training needs to pay more, I think this is also the best test. Competitive sports, no matter which sport it is, must break through itself, so spirit is also a very important aspect. Our team is also emphasizing this spirit of hard work, the spirit of not giving up, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, we must always strive for it.