Source: Xinmin Evening News Lu Weixin
In last week's away game in Tianjin, Shenhua was awarded a zero for the first time by the opponent this season. After the lack of Malalai and Teixeira, the team's counterattack speed and attack ability were affected. How to deal with the absence of personnel in the long season is left to Slotsky and the coaching team to give an answer. The good news is that in this slightly regretful match, Shenhua's rear defense line is still stable, especially in the face of the side attack of foreign aid from Tianjin Tigers, Yang Zexiang's left side did not give too many opportunities to opponents, and he, nicknamed "Xiang Warrior" by fans, is also regarded as the "answer" of Shenhua's side guards.
Every time he competes with the Tianjin team, Yang Zexiang is always different. As a player produced by Tianjin Youth Training, returning to the old place will always have different feelings. However, when Yang Zexiang was promoted to the first team, he only played one game for the Tianjin team at that time, and then began to toss and turn. Before coming to Shenhua, Yang Zexiang had played in teams at all levels in Baoding, Dalian and Chengdu, but his sense of existence was always weak. In 2021, Yang Zexiang signed a contract with Shenhua and was rented out immediately.
In 2022, Yang Zexiang returned to Shenhua after finishing his loan, but he was still a "passer-by". Even when he talked about it, most people also sighed that "the player born in 1994, who is 28 years old, can't play in the game, so it's hard to get ahead". Fortunately, Yang Zexiang had a chance to play in that special season. In the game against Changchun Yatai, he came on as a substitute for Zhang Lu, but only two minutes later, Yang Zexiang was sent off by the referee for dangerous actions. His start in Shenhua can be called "hell class".
When everyone decided that Yang Zexiang could not be reused, the "older rookie" of Shenhua began to counter attack. With his hard work on the training ground, his attitude of never giving up in the game and his physical energy reserves, Yang Zexiang came into the sight of the coaching team. In addition, the team's full back position was already short of people. The then coach Wu Jingui gave more and more opportunities to "Lao Yang", and his performance was getting better and better. Although the stem of "getting a red card in the first two minutes of the show" was often ridiculed, But more and more Shenhua fans began to accept Yang Zexiang, and called this diligent full back "Xiang fighter".
After Slotsky took office, Yang Zexiang continued his consistent style and made every effort in training and competition. During the Haikou intensive training at the beginning of the year, the "Flying Soldier" won 1500 dollars from the new coach's own pocket for his excellent performance. After the start of the season, Yang Zexiang became the first choice of Shenhua left back. Although there is still room for improvement in assists and crosses, the positive performance of "Xiang Warrior" in defense has been recognized by the coaching team many times. When visiting Tianjin, he managed to freeze the other side's core foreign aid Ademi under the watch of the national football coach Ivankovic, so as to ensure that Shenhua retreated completely. After the game, fans have suggested Ivan to include Yang Zexiang in the investigation sequence of the national football team members. This player who has been despised and laughed at by countless people has the possibility to wear the national football uniform and compete in higher level competitions.
After Wu Chengying, Shenhua's left back position rarely appears to be the top player in China who integrates attack and defense. Yang Zexiang, who is about to turn 30 at the end of this year, although he defends the strong and attacks the weak most of the time, there have also been wonderful moments in this season when he carried the ball on the wing. Next, if Slotsky can develop the offensive potential of "Flying Soldier", perhaps Shenhua fans can really welcome another "answer" on the left after a long wait.
