Striker Li Mao yesterday fired Taiwan ahead with an early brace and the hosts held on to seal a 2-0 victory over Laos at the Taipei Municipal Stadium.
The victory saw the hosts make it three wins out of three to claim the trophy at the CTFA17 International Tournament.
Li was the key player for Taiwan in the competition, as he also scored two headed goals in the hosts’ opener as they beat the Philippines 3-0 on Sunday.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
Taiwan yesterday set out with attacking intentions and kept up the pressure on the Laos defense throughout the contest, while goalkeeper Pan Wen-chieh kept a clean sheet by making several crucial saves.
In the ninth minute, captain Chen Po-liang intercepted an errant pass and drove toward the Laos penalty area, finding midfielder Yu Chia-yuang.
Yu was tackled as he was about to pull the trigger, but the ball fell to Li, who swept home his third goal of the tournament.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
Three minutes later, midfielder Su De-cai crossed into the penalty area from the right and Li hit a first-time shot to extend Taiwan’s lead.
London-born English-Taiwanese substitute Will Donkin, who plays for the academy of English Premier League side Crystal Palace, also put in an outstanding performance and was a constant threat throughout the second half.
Donkin impressed the fans with his vision and poise as he created numerous chances for his teammates.
In the 70th minute, Donkin nearly scored his first goal for Taiwan when he hit a free-kick from just outside the penalty area eluded Laos goalkeeper Outthilath Nammakhoth, but hit the crossbar.
Striker Li continued his forays forward in search of a hat-trick and he almost got past the defense after a pass by midfielder Wen Chih-hao in the 84th minute, but a Laos defender brought him down and the referee waved play on, judging it to be a clean tackle.
After the game, Taiwan’s players and coaches paraded around the stadium for several minutes in a victory lap to applaud the fans.
In yesterday’s earlier match, East Timor battled hard against the Philippines and were rewarded with a late strike by Garcia da Silva to prevail 1-0.
It was East Timor’s only victory of the tournament, and the players and coaches were delighted with what was considered an upset win.
All three visiting teams finished the tournament with 1-2 record.
Fred Kerley is competing unaugmented against drug-fuelled athletes at this weekend’s Enhanced Games and still hopes to race in the 2028 Olympics, the suspended former 100m world champion said on Friday. Arguably the biggest name at the divisive event in Las Vegas, where doping is permitted, the US sprinter said he had chosen not to take any of the banned substances including testosterone and steroids that his competitors have been using. “I don’t need it. God gave me fast feet for a reason. And I’m here to showcase my talent,” Kerley said. Kerley last September became the first US competitor and first track
VICTORY ABROAD: The team took home a fistful of medals and secured spots for the autumn’s Asian Games, scheduled for September in Nagoya Taiwan’s women’s team captured the overall title at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Mongolia on Sunday, finishing with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The strong showing, led by gold medalists Wang Chieh-ling and Chang Jui-en secured the full quota of available spots for Taiwan at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Wang opened Taiwan’s medal run by winning gold in the women’s under-46kg class on Thursday, the first day of competition. Liu Yu-yun later earned a silver in the under-49kg class. On the final day on Sunday, Chang won Taiwan’s second gold medal in the under-62kg event, and
MLB is experiencing an epidemic of guys being dudes. At ballparks all across the US, groups consisting of mostly young men are joining in on the “Tarps Off” trend that is loud, goofy, infectious and new to the baseball world. Joining in on the fun is simple: Go to the section where the party is happening, take off your shirt and start twirling it above your head. Soccer-like chants or singing usually follow — injecting a jolt of energy for a sport that is occasionally chided for its lack of energy inside the stadium. After getting its start in St Louis, Missouri, on
Hull City AFC are to play Middlesbrough for a place in the Premier League after Southampton on Wednesday failed in their appeal against expulsion from the Championship playoff final for spying on opponents. Southampton were thrown out of the final on Tuesday and handed a four-point deduction for next season after they had beaten semi-final opponents Middlesbrough. “The original sanction of expulsion ... remains in place, as does the four-point deduction to be applied to the 2026/27 Championship table and the reprimand in respect of all charges,” the English Football League said in a statement. The final is to be played at Wembley
RSS