Tatung and Hang Yuan each picked up a point on Sunday after a 2-2 draw in the fifth round of Taiwan Football Premier League matches, while Taiwan Steel netted four in a robust display of their firepower.
With first-placed Taipower being held to a scoreless draw the title race is wide open, with four teams within four points of the league leaders.
Taiwan international Chen Jui-chieh scored a brace as Tatung grabbed a 2-1 lead against Hang Yuan at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City, but attacking midfielder Wu Yen-shu equalized in the 60th minute to claim a share of the points for Hang Yuan.
Photo: Liao Yu-wei, Taipei Times
Hang Yuan went ahead in the 17th minute when a cross from the right was volleyed into the roof of the net by former Haiti international Judelin Aveska.
Often charging up on the attack from his defensive postion, it was Aveska’s second goal in two games after he scored the winner against Ming Chuan University the previous Sunday.
However, the lead lasted only 10 minutes, with Tatung forward Chen slotting home inside the far post to make it 1-1.
Chen claimed his brace after halftime, collecting a pass on the run and chipping Hang Yuan goalkeeper Huang Chiu-lin to put Tatung in front.
Hang Yuan fought back when American former Royal Blues captain Michael O’Gorman fed forward Wu Yen-shu, who, with his first touch, drove a low shot into the net.
“We were unfortunate on the opposition’s second goal. Our defender got hurt and he fell behind Wu, who then scored the equalizer,” Tatung head coach Chiang Mu-tsai said.
“This year the top-half teams all have made additions to their squads and it will be a wide-open race,” he said. “We have had big changes to our team, with players departing and some arriving, so we are not playing with consistency and have no big-name stars... These early matches are for the players to find their roles within the team and develop partnerships on the pitch.”
Elsewhere, Taiwan Steel routed NTUS 4-0 in Tainan, with Chen We-chuan and Cheng Hao scoring in the first half, before captain Wu Chun-ching and Brazilian midfielder Vitor Alves wrapped up the victory in the second.
In a thrilling game with numerous chances, but no one able to make the breakthrough, Taichung Futuro were happy to pick up a point after holding leaders Taipower to a 0-0 draw.
Ming Chuan University chalked up their first win of the season by thrashing the Red Lions 6-0 in Taoyuan.
Kaohsiung-based Taipower top the table with 13 points having conceded their first points of the season, while second-placed Hang Yuan closed the gap to two points.
Taiwan Steel’s victory saw them remain in third ahead of Taichung Futuro, this season’s surprise packages, also on nine points, thanks to a superior goal-difference.
Defending champions Tatung are fifth on eight points.
Ming Chuan University moved up to sixth place with four points.
NTUS with one point are seventh, while the Red Lions are still seeking their first point of the season after five straight losses.
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