The Taichung Football Association in Chaoma Road is set to come alive with the sounds of soccer this weekend as 16 expat teams take to the pitch in an attempt to become champions of Taiwan.
The inaugural Londoner Scunners Spring Invitational Cup sees teams traveling to Taichung from all of Taiwan’s major cities, such as current champions Massive FC of Kaohsiung. Winning the previous tournament, coincidentally held in Kaohsiung, Massive expect serious competition from other teams looking to steal their crown.
No less than 10 of the teams are making the journey from their bases in Taipei to spend the weekend in Taiwan’s central city vying for a spot in the tournament’s prestigious Cup final.
That being said, the tournament is not just about finding the single most outstanding team, and when the teams finish competing tomorrow they are allocated a spot in one of four trophy competitions on Sunday.
The aforementioned Cup competition is the most hotly sought-after prize, while there will also be Plate, Boot and Spoon competitions so that the less technically gifted teams have a chance to lift some silverware on Sunday evening.
Tournament organizer and Londoner Scunners FC manager Allan Cooke is very excited about the prospect of his team hosting the tournament for the first time.
“I have played for the Londoner Scunners for over four years now and while we haven’t lifted any silverware, I have thoroughly enjoyed the team spirit that exists, not only in my team, but throughout expat soccer in Taiwan. That’s why we have introduced the Spoon competition this year. I really want every team, regardless of ability, to have something to play for on Sunday,” Cooke said.
This emphasis on team spirit will certainly be on show this weekend and anyone who lives in Taichung or who is looking to get out and see some great soccer will definitely be very welcome if they come along to watch.
“Taiwan’s expat teams are always looking for new players as foreigners tend to come and go on a regular basis, so anyone looking to join a team can come along and see for themselves the level that we play at,” Cooke said. “Teams are also permitted to use several local Taiwanese players ... so local enthusiasts needn’t be put off by the ‘expat’ label.”
The first games kick off at 11am tomorrow and the final whistle that decides the tournament winners is scheduled to blow at 5pm on Sunday.
With a staggering 48 games between kickoff and the Cup final, there is sure to be action, drama, thrills and spills before the trophies are lifted.
Fenerbahce on Thursday earned a rare 2-1 win in England, but were still knocked out of the UEFA Europa League by Nottingham Forest in the playoffs. Forest entered the second leg with a healthy 3-0 lead from the opener in Istanbul — where Vitor Pereira made an impact in his first game in charge — and that proved enough to advance to the round-of-16 with a 4-2 aggregate score. The result was a boost for Forest, struggling at 17th place in the Premier League, in their return to Europe after three decades. They next face Real Betis Balompie or Kerem Akturkoglu gave Fenerbahce
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
RSS