CORNERFLICK
Nation
DF
Position
CHI
National team
// the read
The shape of him
Defending at a World Cup is a tightrope — one mistake ends a campaign. The profile below is the positional read; the moments that define it come in the knockouts.
// the equation
reading × timing × the last-ditch nerve
the back linethe cover positionthe duel
// the x-factor
The job
The last line of trust.
Read the danger early, time the tackle, marshal the line. At this level the margin between a clean sheet and an early flight is a single lapse.
DefenderRole
// the closing word
Hu Hetao.China PR U23 · Defender.The full dossier — season numbers, takes and tape — lands closer to kickoff.
CHIDefender