Michelle Pao on Saturday put on a stellar performance, scoring four goals to claim the Golden Boot award as she led Taichung Blue Whale to rout Hang Yuan FC 6-2, while Hualien City finished the season with a 3-3 draw against Inter Taoyuan FC.
Heading into the final round at Kaohsiung National Stadium, it was a close race to win the Taiwan Mulan Football League’s top scorer honors, as Pao and Hualien City striker Wu Shih-ping each had 17 goals.
As for the league title, that was already determined on Sept. 12, when Hualien prevailed 2-1 over Blue Whale.
Photo courtesy of CTFA
Operating just behind the two main strikers, Pao led much of the attacking play, and early on raced toward the goal and was tackled from behind.
Pao scored on the ensuing penalty shot, but Hang Yuan striker Liu Yi-fang leveled the score, blasting a shot from 20m in the 15th minute.
It remained 1-1 into the second half, until Pao in the 61st minute received a cross inside the box to slot it home for her second goal.
Photo courtesy of CTFA
Two minutes later, Blue Whale opened up opposition defense with a passing combination, allowing Pao to latch on into the box and drill a shot into the upper corner for a hat-trick.
In the 75th minute, Hang Yuan forward Wang Hsin-tzu closed the gap to 3-2 with a header, and six minutes later, Pao raced into the box to collect a long pass, tapping the ball into the bottom right corner for her fourth goal.
Blue Whale players took advantage of the disarray to reach the net twice before the whistle, with striker Nien Ching-yun dribbling past defenders to score in an outstanding individual run on the way to the 6-2 final score.
Pao ended the match with 21 goals for the season, while Hualien City’s Wu grabbed a brace in her team’s tough battle against Inter Taoyuan to end with 19 goals.
Pao broke the record of last season’s top scorer, Blue Whale teammate Lee Hsiu-chin, who had scored 19 goals.
“It was all due to great teamwork. I want to thank my teammates for their excellent play and passing me the ball up front. Then I had the simple job of slotting the ball into the net. Without their help, I could not win the Golden Boot, and set the new season record,” Pao said.
She has a wealth of international experience, playing in Japan, Sweden and the US before signing with Taichung in 2018, and helping them win two consecutive league titles.
Striker Ting Chia-ying fired home a late goal for Kaohsiung Sunny Bank to pick up three points and the team’s first win this season, in a 1-0 victory over Taipei Bravo in front of their hometown crowd in Kaohsiung.
MEN’S SOCCER
In the Taiwan Football Premier League yesterday, Taipower FC and Taiwan Steel remained tied for first place with 36 points, as both won their matches, while Taichung Futuro lost 2-1 to Tatung FC.
Taiwan Steel scored five goals to thrash Red Lions FC 5-2, while Taipower narrowly defeated Ming Chuan University 3-2.
Hang Yuan FC edged out National Taiwan University of Sport 1-0, as Taichung Futuro fell to third place, in front of Hang Yuan in the fourth spot.
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