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Cup aims to build bridges

Frustrated with the opportunities available to amateur expat soccer enthusiasts to play in Taiwan, in 2005 Michael Blanc, owner of the Tavern Premier sports bar in Taipei, formed the Tavern Premier League to fill the void.

Over the years the league has held tournaments for foreign players based in Taiwan. But now 16 teams are set to add a new twist when they kick off the innagural Taiwan Premier League Cup tomorrow at 10am at Dajia Riverside Park in Taipei.

Whereas expat players had complained that the locally run Businessmen's League discriminated against foreigners and created divisions between the two soccer communities, the teams competing in the new Tavern Premier League Cup reflect Blanc's effort to encourage Taiwanese and foreign players to play together.

The league includes seven local and nine expat teams.

"The objective is to build bridges between the two communities by providing an organized, fun and social soccer environment that is available for all soccer-loving adults, which will hopefully grow over the coming years so the beautiful game can gain better recognition in Taiwan," said Michael Chandler, Blanc's colleague.

Teams are organized by local schools, universities, private clubs and even bars.

The tournament will run from tomorrow until the end of May, weather conditions permitting.

League matches are scheduled to be held every Sunday, except for next Sunday, beginning at 10am.

The first round will consist of round--robin groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group advancing. That will be followed with a knockout round involving the surviving eight teams beginning on May 6, with the final match played on May 20.
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