The Taichung Compass United Football Club defeated the Tainan Phoenix 5-4 in an overtime penalty kick shoot-out to win the 2003 Taiwan Fall Cup Tournament in Taichung, yesterday.
The two-day event featured 10 amateur expatriate teams from around Taiwan.
The hard-fought final ended scoreless, leading to a shoot-out. Goalkeepers Ben Bartlett and Euston Slabbert defended for Taichung and Tainan, respectively. Compass forward Michael Richardson missed his team's first penalty kick, giving the Phoenix a one-point lead that lasted until their final kick, which went wide. Tainan's next shot also missed the net, leaving Compass sweeper Dan Long and defender Mike Walker to seal their team's victory with successful kicks.
Compass won all six of its matches over the weekend. In a consolation game, the Taipei Animals defeated the Kaohsiung 100 Pacers 1-0, with a goal by forward David Camhi, giving them third place.
"It feels great to finally win after many, many years of finishing second," Compass Captain Jerome Allanic, said. "I think the teamwork and team spirit were really good, as these guys from many countries worked closely together to win."
This was the first major tournament victory for the club.
The tournament was organized by Taichung Compass United and sponsored by Taichung-based Chubby's Restaurant & Bar, La Bodega Spanish Restaurant and Liquid Lounge.
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