Interview with Henan team's foreign aid Maidana: I understand the dissatisfaction of the fans very much, and the first win is like a shot in the arm

Reporter Lu Mi reports On April 5, in the fifth round of the Chinese Super League, Henan team defeated Shenzhen Xinpeng City 3-1 away, ending three consecutive defeats and finally winning the first victory of the season. The team's central defender Maidana made another contribution in this game, and is currently the team's top scorer with 3 goals, interpreting the key role of "central defender with a knife" with practical actions. Last season, Maidana stepped up to the occasion on a number of occasions, and his header became an important weapon for the team to break the game.

◆Football: Henan finally got their first win of the season, what does that mean?

Maidana: This victory came too timely, too important. The previous back-to-back defeats may have caused some of his teammates to fluctuate psychologically. But this victory was like a shot in the arm, rekindling the fighting spirit of our teammates and giving us confidence in ourselves and our team. Everyone realizes that we have the ability to beat our opponents in the heat of the game, and as long as we stick together and pay attention to details, there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome.

◆What impact did the previous two consecutive defeats at home, including three consecutive defeats in the opening game, affect the Henan team?

The games we didn't win were not because we weren't good enough, but because we were a little lacking in some of the details, which definitely put a certain amount of pressure on our team-mates. Although the defeat is sad, it is also the motivation for us to continue to work hard in the later stages.

◆Before the troops were sent to Shenzhen, there were only two short days left for you to adjust, what preparations did you make?

First of all, we have unified our minds and we can't let the opponent score easily; Secondly, everyone in the team must give 12 points of spirit and go all out to play the next game, these two points are the consensus reached within our team. The club also talked to us, asking everyone to forget about the previous losses and adjust their mentality and physical condition.

◆In the match against Xinpeng City, you made some adjustments in terms of personnel, including the change of teammates in the defense team with your partner, is there any difference in the operation of the game from before?

Judging by the results of the competition, this adjustment was a success. A few of their team-mates hadn't played before, but you could see that they had been preparing and this time the opportunity came, and they made the most of their individual abilities and took advantage of them. I also hope that every player on our bench can do that.

◆Before the game, Wang Shangyuan said in the locker room, this is your home, this home can't be yellow, how do you understand this sentence?

What the captain said, I think can have a motivating effect. Including my partner Maia, he also said something to encourage everyone. Our team is like a family, each member has a different personality and style, everyone must take the family as a unit and the overall goal as the direction in order to go longer and further.

◆Football: Henan started the season with the same number of defeats as last season, what are the main reasons?

Maidana: How do you say that, every year the Super League teams are changing, and everyone actually wants to strive for better results. This year, the other teams have made a lot of changes compared to last year, and we seem to be the same as last year, which leads to some gaps. Of course, I also have responsibilities as a player. It's always a tough start and we need to make some changes, because the fans expect something from us and it hurts their feelings every year.

◆The match with Qingdao West Coast in the 4th round was actually the closest Henan team had to win the first game before, but unfortunately you lost 2-3 at home. Have you reflected on the strong dissatisfaction of the home fans?

I understand very well how the fans feel, not just them, but we players feel the same way – unfortunately and angry because we were one step away from winning and we were reversed at home. We have to learn from the lessons, and in the training we have to show the attitude of changing the situation, and we have to give our all to the best of our ability. In fact, we started this year almost the same as last year, and since we managed to overcome all kinds of difficulties last year, I believe that we will also get over this hurdle at the beginning of this season, and the team will get better and better in the future.

◆Judging from the first five rounds of games, what changes do you think this year's Super League has changed compared to the past?

As mentioned earlier, other teams have changed a lot this year, and their strength has improved. And the two promoted horses that came up this year, as well as Meizhou, which returned to the Chinese Super League, are very competitive. The first five rounds showed that the situation was chaotic throughout the middle and lower reaches, and the quality of the competition was better than ever, which required us to be vigilant at all times.

◆Has the strength of the Henan team been intuitively reflected in the first five rounds? What do teams need most if they want to finish relegation as soon as possible?

So far, we have brought in both domestic and foreign players this year, especially Cardoso, who arrived relatively late in the team, and may still need some time to run in, but everything else is fine. Regarding relegation, I have never doubted our ability, but I just hope to improve my strength through training in the future, and strive for better results on the basis of relegation.

◆There have been cases of teams conceding goals on substitutions in the past, will this cause a crisis of confidence within the team?

Our substitutes were under more pressure than the starters because they came on with a mission to help the team and change the situation. As long as you think like this, you will understand each other more, and you will not distrust each other because the result is not good. Like the captain said, we're a family. In the match against Xinpeng City, everyone saw that our substitutes were very well prepared, and after coming on the field, they also showed excellent individual ability, and finally helped the team to win.

◆Football: You mentioned that you had a bad start last year, and then when the team had a first wave of wins, you scored a brace and a savior, why did you always step up when it mattered?

Midana: As a professional athlete, I want to win every game. For this result, whether it is through words or deeds, I am willing to give. Of course it's 11 people and I'm sure a lot of players besides me want to help the team.

◆In the match against Xinpeng City, you shot 2 times on target, 7 times and successfully won 6 times, these statistics are the highest in the game, how did you manage to play consistently in every game?

I think good data must come from my daily training and life. I usually have to give my best in training to make sure that I have a full mental state and the best understanding of the technique and tactics before I get into the game. In addition, you should rest well in life and eat a healthy diet. In short, I want every game to be better than the last one, that's what I ask of myself.

◆Now that you're the team's top scorer, do you want to develop on the offensive end in the past?

This year the league has just started and I've scored a few goals now, but it doesn't mean anything. I'm just a defensive player, after all, and I'm more in the defensive area.

◆How would you rate your team's forward line?

I think the quality of our forward line is quite high, and they are all great players. I'm sure they will bring more goals to the team in the next games.

◆This year, the Henan team switched to three central defenders, which were equipped with two foreign aids, compared with the same period last year, this year only conceded 1 goal less than last year (conceded 10 goals), such a slight change disappointed many people. What do you think of this situation?

The goals we conceded this year were caused by different factors, often with several links in the same line at the same time, which is a bit like last year. But we will improve after each game and I believe that our performance will get better and better after that.

◆You and Maia partner in central defence, what is the division of labor? What are your expectations in terms of playing style in the future?

The arrival of Maia this year has helped me a lot, he is also Brazilian and has a much better communication in the defence than last year. We often talk about the game together, how to respond on the defensive end, how to maximize the advantage of the defensive line. I have this confidence that in the later games we will be able to tighten the defensive fence and provide more security for the attacking players in front of us.

◆With Maia here, are you more able to balance defensive and offensive work?

It's actually part of our tactics, it's not that I'll be more involved in the attack after Maia comes, it's just that if we have corners and set-pieces when we attack, Maja and I can use our individual ability to increase our chances of scoring.

◆You have been conscientious in the team, you have performed well at both offensive and defensive ends, and last year you also renewed your contract with Henan FC in advance, what do you hope to achieve for the team?

I like the city of Zhengzhou very much, I also like the Henan team very much, my wife has also become a fan of the Henan team, she is very supportive of me working here, we all hope to stay in Henan to work, contribute to the future development of Henan football, and strive for more honors for the team. Of course, this is a two-way street, and I will prove my determination by working hard.