Kaohsiung’s Houjing Elementary School boys’ soccer team took first place at an international tournament in England and returned home to a warm reception over the weekend, with the coach and players saying the toughest part of the tournament was the cold and rainy English weather.
Parents, friends, sports officials and local supporters cheered the boys when they arrived at Kaohsiung International Airport on Saturday after winning the Under-12 championship at the English International Super Cup in Manchester.
The competition drew participants from across Europe and other countries, with the groupings from Under-7’s to youths levels for males and Under-8s to Under-18s for females.
Houjing coach Chen Tsung-pang said his team defeated opponents from England, Germany, the US and Nigeria, to win the Group A competition and advance to the title showdown against South Africa, the Group B winners.
“South Africa had a very good team, but we played with a strong defense. Our striker Huang Shih-lun scored a hat-trick for a 5-2 win for the trophy,” Chen said.
COLD AND WET
England’s weather saw the Taiwanese players struggled to cope with the cold and wet conditions in Manchester.
Chen said his team had outdoor training and played all year round in hot and humid conditions, “so we were not prepared for such rainy weather and low temperatures in England’s summer.”
“It rained all the time. The temperature was mostly about 10?C and was never higher than the low teens. Our players were very cold after being drenched by the rain, many of them got leg cramps while playing,” Chen said.
“Our players are not as skilled as the Under-12 teams from other countries. So we relied on a defensive game to shut down our opponents and find scoring opportunities to counterattack,” Chen said.
“All credit goes to the players, because they had to play in such terrible conditions, but managed to take straight wins against very good opponents,” he added.
In the Group A final, Houjing prevailed 2-0 over hosts Manchester City.
However, Manchester coaches filed a protest, accusing Houjing of forging identity papers to register older players in the Under-12 team.
Tournament officials and the referee committee authenticated players identity papers and upheld the game outcome.
“Yes, we have a boy on the team who is 1.75m tall and three others who are about 1.65m tall. They were much taller than some of the other boys of the same age in the competition,” Chen said. “They also played well, with strong defense and fast running. That was why the Manchester team questioned us about their age and demanded to see their official documents.”
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Shih-fang, who heads the Kaohsiung City Football Association, joined other sports officials in welcoming the team home on Saturday.
“People in Kaohsiung are proud of these kids, who have exceeded all expectations to win the title in this international tournament,” he said.
“The team had to play in the cold and wet climate in England,” Liu said. “They had strong determination to overcome all the odds and triumph. The culmination of these experiences can help build our youth soccer development and improve their skills, to face bigger challenges in the future.”
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