On January 11, 2023, Beijing time, the semi-finals of the 2022 Chinese Football Association Cup will reignite in Suzhou, and Shanghai Seaport will face the Zhejiang team in a single-elimination match. For Wu Lei, he will once again have the opportunity to hit the FA Cup championship trophy. So far in his career, Wu Lei has collected all the championship trophies of the three professional leagues of China B, China A, and China Super League, but the FA Cup championship trophy has been long overdue. If the Shanghai Seaport team can finally reach the top, Wu Lei will achieve the “Grand Slam” of the local league title. Before the semi-final with the Zhejiang team, Wu Lei accepted an official interview with the Chinese Football Association Cup.
Reporter: You have experienced some injuries before. The last two FA Cup games were played at halftime, but both scored goals. How is your current recovery?
Wu Lei: The state is not in the best state, because I have experienced some injuries before, and my physical fitness and state are slowly recovering. I hope to return to the level of the league.
Reporter: With 11 goals in the league this season, I have completed my goal of 10 goals set by overtime in my comeback. In addition, I also scored two goals in the FA Cup. How do you evaluate your performance?
Wu Lei: In fact, at the beginning of my return, I hoped to improve the team’s cohesion and desire to win, and at the same time bring goals to the team and help the team win. From these two points, I am quite satisfied. There are still two FA Cup games left, and I have to continue to work hard to bring the team excellent results.
Reporter: What does it mean that the FA Cup is the only trophy missing in your room of honor?
Wu Lei: It’s not just me, everyone in the team is very eager. Our team has won every championship, including the Super Cup, but there is no FA Cup champion. Very eager to be able to fill this void.
Reporter: Looking back at the FA Cup matches you participated in before going to La Liga, was there any one that left a deep impression on you?
Wu Lei: The two games that impressed me the most were against Shenhua. In the 2015 FA Cup quarter-finals, in Hongkou, they drew 3-3 with Shenhua. That game was a goal shootout with a big score , Every ball is very beautiful, coupled with the fan atmosphere of the Hongkou Football Stadium, it is really impressive. The other was the FA Cup final with Shenhua in 2017, passing the championship trophy.
Reporter: How do you evaluate the contingency of the FA Cup competition system?
Wu Lei: The FA Cup competition system is like this. It provides a platform and opportunity for low-level teams to show their strength. In addition, it is a single-game promotion system, which is very accidental. In fact, you can see the upset of small teams in cup matches in various countries around the world. Including the Copa del Rey I played in Spain before, the nature is the same. It is not uncommon for Spain’s third-level and fourth-level teams to beat La Liga teams in the cup. We can see many such situations every year. Small ball Teams include amateur teams, facing La Liga teams, their concentration is very high.
Reporter: With the return of Oscar, Harbor had the strongest frontcourt four-man offensive combination of you and Oscar, Paulinho and Vargas in the last game. Do you think your four-man team can compete in the next two games? Play the greatest power?
Wu Lei: On paper, our team’s frontcourt lineup is really good, including the depth of the bench. However, it must also be noted that Oscar has not trained with the team for a long time. Encountered injuries, so in fact, we still need to have a better run-in together.
Reporter: Did Oscar communicate with you before the game, who gets more balls, who supports more, how to divide the work?
Wu Lei: I don’t think you need more communication. Everyone on the court understands what to do, what to do, and what is the characteristic of each person. After playing for so many years, everyone knows it better.
Reporter: Haigang did not beat the Zhejiang team in the two league rounds this year. How do you evaluate this opponent in the semi-finals?
Wu Lei: The Zhejiang team is indeed very good. We did not win the two games in the league this year. This game must be very difficult. The Zhejiang team has good foreign aid, and the foreign aid is also very good. I believe it will be a tough game. , we will also attach great importance to it and strive to give full play to our strength.
Reporter: In the semi-finals, there was a 90-minute tie and a direct penalty kick. Will there be any difference in preparation?
Wu Lei: There is no difference, just treat it as a game, and Zhejiang must be the same. They will not think about taking penalties from the beginning. Everyone must be thinking about how to win the opponent within 90 minutes.
Reporter: Last year, Haigang and Shandong Taishan met in the final of the FA Cup. This year, you and Shandong are still considered the biggest favorites to win the FA Cup. How do you evaluate Shandong Taishan, an old rival?
Wu Lei: I also watched the FA Cup final in Spain last year. We are relatively close to Shandong in strength, and everyone is familiar with it. It is not so easy for anyone to beat the opponent. As for the result, it still depends on the on-the-spot performance and the control of mentality.
Reporter: The team experienced a mid-season coaching change for the first time this season. After Xi Zhikang and Sun Xiang took over the team, what is the biggest change?
Wu Lei: The team has a better atmosphere and stronger cohesion. In terms of skills and tactics, we will indeed formulate our own tactics according to different opponents, and we will also focus more on defense.Return to Sohu to see more
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