From China League Two to the Chinese Super League in three years! Yao Haoyang: "Wherever I'm not good enough, I'll train hard there."

Reporter Lu Mi reports He made his professional debut at 16, and within three years helped Yunnan Yukun and Chongqing Tonglianglong achieve promotion to the CSL twice. The 19-year-old Yao Haoyang has continuously broken through his limits with grit and perseverance. This year, he not only started his first CSL season but also became the starting goalkeeper for Tonglianglong, showing a mentality and stable performance beyond his age…

◆ Soccer: Recently, the weather has been hot, the schedule dense, and the team has faced tough battles in a row. Just then came the second leg of the Chengdu-Chongqing derby. Tonglianglong was playing away and missing N'Gadeu. What was your mindset before the match?

Yao Haoyang: Actually, I didn't think too much before the match. I just saw the Chengdu-Chongqing derby as a normal game. Chengdu Rongcheng's overall strength is evident—they are the top team in the CSL. Preparing for such a match is indeed stressful for any team, but in my view, the more pressure, the greater the training value.

◆ The two legs of this season's Chengdu-Chongqing derby were at the beginning and middle of the season. In the first match, you conceded three goals; in the second, only one. How did your approach differ between the two games?

I think my performance in the second match was more mature than in the first. The third goal conceded in the first match came from a corner kick; my positioning wasn't good at that time. By the second encounter, I paid much more attention. After the match, we reviewed it carefully, which we basically do after every game.

◆ In the last home game against Zhejiang, you initiated the equalizing goal. What were you thinking when you organized the attack from a goal kick?

I was thinking about a quick transition. Usually in such situations, we go long to the center forward, aiming for Dima'ta's head. But when I got the ball, he was very far away, so I tried to pass it into his forward path. The ball happened to reach Campagnu, who then laid it off to Dima'ta, and it ended up as a goal. We've practiced this kind of transition before.

◆ As of now, the team is firmly in second place in the CSL. As the absolute starting goalkeeper, what do you think is the core competitiveness of a promoted team achieving such results?

I think the core competitiveness is that the team is relatively young overall. We have many young players, sufficient physical reserves, and we dare to engage in physical battles and run more. On both offense and defense, everyone maintains high-intensity running and tackling, showing no fear against any opponent, striving for every opportunity with a never-say-die spirit.

◆ After 19 rounds this season, this young team has experienced tough matches and come-from-behind games. Where do you think the biggest transformation has been along the way?

I think it's in defense. Everyone has done well according to the head coach's requirements. We are all young players, the whole team is very united, we fully endorse the coach's tactics, and our execution is strong, so we carry them out resolutely and effectively.

◆ As the team's last line of defense, you have made many crucial saves this season. How has the team's defensive system's integration and improvement supported your individual performance?

Actually, I don't think I deserve much credit. The credit goes more to my teammates on the field; they organize well in front of me, giving me great support and assistance. Compared to the China League One days, the team now uses a system with two foreign center-backs and a five-man defense, which makes me feel much more secure in goal. But that doesn't mean my tests have decreased—the strength of CSL foreign players is on a completely different level from CL1, and the challenges remain very tough.

◆ At the midpoint of the season, how do you evaluate your overall performance this season? Have you set any interim personal goals and team goals for yourself?

The season is not over yet, but for now, I'm fairly satisfied. I think the most important thing is for the team to win; clean sheets and such don't matter—as long as the team wins, that's fine. My long-term personal goal is to make the national team. As for the team's goal, I think we've already exceeded expectations.

◆ Soccer: This year, not only is it your first time playing in the CSL, but most of the team's players are also CSL newcomers. How do you encourage and improve each other in daily training and pre-match preparation?

Yao Haoyang: Our winter training was in Haikou and Thailand, where we played friendlies against many strong opponents, many of which were from the Thai League and Korean K2 League. At that time, our foreign players hadn't arrived yet, so we competed with these teams using an all-Chinese lineup. These warm-up matches were of high quality and provided us newcomers to the CSL with valuable high-intensity game experience, pushing everyone to grow together.

◆ Last year you were loaned to Tonglianglong. What made you decide to stay here this year?

Because I think Chongqing can provide me with a stable platform and also give young players opportunities to develop. I feel it's great.

◆ The team doesn't have many experienced CSL veterans to rely on. How did you grow so quickly here?

The CSL has many top foreign strikers. In facing them directly, I feel I've improved quickly and well. From my position as a goalkeeper, I think I should learn more from national team goalkeepers like Wang Dalei, since I'm just a rookie in the CSL.

◆ Head coach Liu Jianye is also coaching a CSL team for the first time, and he is quite young as a coach. How did you build trust in him?

I trusted him as soon as he arrived. After all, last year in the China League One, when he coached Dingnan Ganlian, they scored four goals against me (last year Tonglianglong beat Ganlian 2-1 at home and lost 1-3 away). Combined with the effect of this year's winter training friendlies, I felt he was very reliable, and I believe in his tactics.

◆ Outsiders say his targeted preparations against opponents are quite successful. As insiders, what is your experience like?

He is really meticulous in pre-match preparation, including both targeted arrangements against the opponent and adjustments to our own team. For example, in the first leg against Chengdu Rongcheng, we were down 0-2 at halftime. As soon as we returned to the locker room, he told us he was changing the formation, and then laid out a whole plan for which position should do what and who should do what. After the second half started, we executed his new plan, and we actually achieved it—we equalized. Besides his tactical approach, Coach Liu manages with a balance of tension and relaxation—tight when needed, and rest when needed. He lets us relax outside of training, but during training, he demands 100% commitment.

◆ Besides Liu Jianye, goalkeeper coach Zhang Sipeng is also a very young coach. What kind of sparks does this youthful combination create?

Both Coach Liu and Coach Zhang have professional playing experience, so they understand the difficulties we face on the field. When analyzing problems, they always hit the nail on the head, pinpointing exactly where our issues lie. Through working with them over the past half year, I've also clearly realized that there are still many areas where I can continue to improve.

◆ Soccer: You played in the China League Two at 16, the China League One at 17, and became a stable CSL starter at 19, climbing the ladder of three leagues step by step. Looking back on this career path, what do you think is the core factor behind your rapid growth or success?

Yao Haoyang: One word: down-to-earth! Whenever I feel I'm lacking in something, I just keep practicing. Wherever I'm not good enough, I work hard on that. At the beginning of the season, everyone felt my footwork wasn't great, so I stayed on the field after training every day to practice, working hard on long kicks and set-piece long passes.

◆ Generally, the goalkeeper position heavily values experience, so most teams prefer to use veterans. What do you think makes you consistently hold the starting position at every level?

First, the head coach appreciates me and gives me opportunities. In that sense, I'm very lucky. Second, I'm quite decisive in making decisions during matches. Whether the action might lead to a mistake or not, I dare to do it. On the other hand, my ability to adjust is also strong—meaning, even if I made a mistake on the previous ball, I can immediately adjust for the next one, without panic or confusion.

◆ From lower leagues to the top league, how did you quickly adapt to each level and iterate your abilities?

As long as you have the opportunity, it's not too difficult. First, you need to mentally prepare for the new environment. You might have played well in the China League One last year, but this year you're in the CSL. In terms of overall strength, intensity of physical battles, and the level of foreign players, CL1 and CSL are completely different. You need to have a clear understanding of that. Then, after recognizing the gap, you need to improve yourself—just like I said earlier, practice what you lack and find confidence in training.

◆ Aren't you worried that once you make a mistake, the public opinion will drown you?

How to put it? Mistakes, I think, are very normal. From a young goalkeeper like me to the world's top goalkeepers, as long as a person is doing something, mistakes are inevitable. On the other hand, although it's painful and even sad when a mistake happens, you can't just stop playing because of a mistake, right? You can't stop moving forward because of a mistake, right? As for public opinion, it's also a normal thing. When you play well, they praise you; when you play poorly, can't they criticize you?

◆ The Asian Games are coming soon. As a core player of the U23 national team, how are you preparing?

We had two international invitational tournaments this year and we gelled quite well. We won the silver medal at this year's U23 Asian Cup, so everyone is confident. I'm already prepared, and with the league games, I've been maintaining good form.

◆ Did you pay attention to the Cape Verdean "internet-famous goalkeeper" in the same position during this World Cup?

Yes, I did. The inspiration it gave me is that to achieve something, it really depends on effort and persistence. When I was young, I wasn't an absolute starter either. I kept telling myself not to give up. Later, many chose to quit and go to school, but I persisted. So, I'm quite grateful to my past self.