On the afternoon of January 18th, Beijing time, Shanghai Shenhua played a friendly match against Dalian Yingtian, a newly promoted team in the Chinese Super League (CSL). After more than 90 minutes of competition, Shanghai Shenhua emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline, demonstrating their superior strength as the runners-up of the CSL.
For Shanghai Shenhua, although this was just an ordinary friendly match, it brought two pleasant surprises for head coach Slavisa Jokanovic.
The first pleasant surprise was the 18-year-old midfield prodigy Yang Haoyu, who had just been promoted from the Shenhua youth team. In this game, Yang Haoyu started and seized the opportunity to showcase his abilities. He did not disappoint Coach Jokanovic's trust in him. Playing in midfield, he focused on interceptions and tackles in defense while fully utilizing his creativity in the frontcourt. He not only made several high-quality passes to the attacking line but also displayed his impressive long-range shooting skills.
In the 10th minute of the game, Yang Haoyu scored a high-quality long-range shot, breaking the deadlock on the field and helping the team take an early 1-0 lead. At such a young age, Yang Haoyu possesses extraordinary football skills, which undoubtedly impressed Coach Jokanovic. Based on this performance alone, Yang Haoyu is expected to receive special attention and training from Jokanovic in the new season.
The second pleasant discovery for Shanghai Shenhua was former naturalized national player Dai Weijun. After the end of his loan period with Shenzhen FC, Dai Weijun returned to the Shanghai Shenhua squad. However, it remains uncertain whether he will be retained by Jokanovic for the new season. Therefore, during this winter training period, Dai Weijun must demonstrate a convincing performance; otherwise, he may face another loan spell away from the team, similar to last season.
In this friendly match, Dai Weijun played a game that vindicated himself. In the 76th minute, he showcased his exceptional ability to seize opportunities in front of the goal. Veteran Yu Hanchao provided a brilliant assist from the left flank, and Dai Weijun responded instinctively, arriving at the right moment to score. Dai Weijun is not only an all-round midfielder with both offensive and defensive capabilities but can also play as a winger capable of breaking through defenses. His outstanding performance in this game will undoubtedly make Jokanovic reconsider his decision regarding Dai Weijun's future with the team. We hope that Jokanovic ultimately decides to keep Dai Weijun in the squad rather than loaning him out again.