Yang confident in Jiangsu's Asian debut
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 22, 2013
Assistant coach Yang Chen has backed Dragan Okuka and his Jiangsu Sainty side to make a major impression as the Chinese Super League runners-up prepare for their first-ever foray into the AFC Champions League.
The Nanjing-based club pushed Guangzhou Evergrande to the limit last year as the big spending southern Chinese club juggled their commitments on the domestic and international stage, with Marcello Lippi's side only emerging triumphant with one game to spare.
But with Jiangsu having made continual progress in recent years, 2002 FIFA World Cup striker Yang is confident the club can continue to move forward over the next 12 months.
"I believe the coach can lead the team to go further in the AFC Champions League," says the former Eintracht Frankfurt forward.
"Two years ago we almost qualified for the AFC Champions League and last year we were runners-up and qualified, so this year our target is to play well in the AFC Champions League and to qualify from the group stage."
Jiangsu are drawn to face Vegalta Sendai of the J.League, Thailand's Buriram United and FC Seoul, the K-League champions and who host the Chinese Super League side in their opening Group E game on Tuesday.
Under Serbian coach Okuka, Jiangsu have made progress steadily, finishing fourth in the Chinese Super League in 2011 before recording their best ever performance 12 months later by finishing second in only their fourth season in the top tier.
But the AFC Champions League presents a new challenge for the club and Yang, rated as one of Chinese football's finest ever exports, acknowledges the need for Jiangsu to feel their way into the competition.
"We need to get more information about our opponents, to build up a database about the teams because this is the first time for us in the competition," he says.
"We have told the players not to think too far ahead, we just need to go match-by-match. If the players can do their best in each game then they can go further.
"We can't compare ourselves to Guangzhou because they can have two line-ups and they have some of the top players in the world. They are playing at national team level. Even though we are aiming to do our best in the AFC Champions League, the Chinese Super League and in the FA Cup, we will stick to our own plan. We will go match-by-match."
Despite their lack of experience at continental level, Jiangsu have their sights set on a run to the knockout phase after Guangzhou became the first Chinese side to reach the quarter-finals since 2006 on their maiden AFC Champions League appearance last year.
"We have three main targets this year, the Chinese Super League, the AFC Champions League and the Chinese FA Cup and for us the main goal is the AFC Champions League because we are representing China," says Yang.
"This is our first journey in the AFC Champions League and we want to get as much experience as we can by playing in this competition. But we know that the teams in this tournament are the best in each country.
"We want to go far in the AFC Champions League and we'll do our best in that and we will put our best into every game."
Jiangsu will, though, be without last season's Chinese Super League top scorer for the group stage after Romanian striker Cristian Danalache, who plundered 23 goals in 28 appearances in 2012, was ruled out with an ankle injury.
Serbian striker Aleksandar Jevtic will look to fill the void having netted 12 goals in 17 outings after arriving from Red Star Belgrade midway through the 2011 season before adding six last year.
Deng Xiaofei, meanwhile, was named Goalkeeper of the Year in 2012 after conceding just 29 goals during Jiangsu's historic campaign.
After playing every minute of the season, Deng was also named in the Best XI after setting a new Chinese Super League record by not conceding a goal for 643 minutes.
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