Taiwan yesterday fought back valiantly, but could not find an equalizer as the hosts fell to a 2-1 defeat to Vietnam at the Hsinchu County Stadium in their Group H qualifier for the Asian Football Confederation Under-19 Championship.
The visitors took the lead in the first half through goals by Truong Tien Anh and Nguyen Hong Son, before the hosts fought back in the second half when Chin Wen-yen fired a rebound into the net, but they could not find another goal.
It was like a home game for the visitors, as about 1,000 Vietnamese workers clad in red cheered for their team, while only a couple of hundred Taiwanese were in the crowd of 1,238.
Photo: Courtesy of the Chinese Taipei Football Association
In the other match in Group H yesterday, Macau defeated Laos 1-0 thanks to a second-half goal by Rogerio Sousa.
The top two teams in the group gain a berth at next year’s Under-19 Championship, which is to be hosted by Indonesia.
In the opening round of matches on Saturday, Vietnam downed Macau 2-0, with Le Minh Binh scoring a brace, while Taiwan beat Laos 2-0.
Midfielder Fong Shao-chi fired Taiwan ahead in the 68th minute, then four minutes later striker Wang Chun-yu hit the second past Laos goalkeeper Thatsana Phaphukdee.
Meanwhile, in the Taiwan Football Premier League, the regular season finished on Friday last week.
Kaohsiung-based Taipower secured first place by thrashing Tainan City 7-1, while National Taiwan University of Physical Education and Sport (NTUPES) blanked Ming Chuan University 3-0 and the Royal Blues defeated Fu Jen University 3-0.
Taipower needed the final-day win, as they had been involved in a two-horse race for the title with Taipei-based Tatung.
Taipower finished with 68 points, while Tatung took second spot with 66.
NTUPES were third with 45 points, Fu Jen University fourth on 39, while National Sports Training Center and the Royal Blues finished fifth and sixth on 38 and 31 points respectively.
Second from bottom were Ming Chuan University with 20 points, while Tainan City finished last on 10 points after suffering 22 losses in 28 matches.
Taipower face Tatung over two legs to determine the Taiwan Premier League champions, while NTUPES face Fu Jen University in the third-place playoffs.
The matches take place at the National Stadium in Kaohsiung on Nov. 18 and at the Taipei Municipal Stadium on Nov. 25.
Tatung forward Marc Fenelus of the Turks and Caicos Islands was the top scorer with 35 goals, followed by Taipower striker Chiu I-huan on 20.
Honduran forward Javi Funes of the Royal Blues placed third with 19 goals, while Wei Mao-ting of Fu Jen University was fourth with 17.
“We are glad all the games are finished. It has been a very long season and many players are tired from all the traveling to games in different cities,” Royal Blues head coach Robert Iwanicki said on Sunday. “In the past, we had 14 games in a year, but the new Taiwan Premier League had 28 and some players were unable to make weekday games because of their work [commitments]. Once we only had 11 players making the trip, and we had no one in reserve and no substitution for that match... but we have done well and we are looking forward to next year.”
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