Taichung Blue Whale on Saturday trounced Inter Taoyuan 4-0 to clinch the Taiwan Mulan Football League title, while defending champions Hualien City faltered in a 0-1 defeat to Hang Yuan FC.
In the closest race since the Mulan league started in 2014, three teams were in the running for the title heading into the weekend, with Blue Whale and Hualien tied at the top of the table and Kaohsiung Sunny Bank trailing by three points.
Blue Whale entered their home match with fierce offense from striker Lai Li-chin and Japanese midfielder Maho Tanaka. They were joined by two Thai players new to the club this season: forward Pitsamai Sornsai, a former Thai international player, and goalkeeper Nattaruja Muthtanawech.
Photo courtesy of the Chinese Taipei Football Association
From the start, Blue Whale pressured Inter Taoyuan on goal, with repeated shots from Lai and Tanaka. At 16 minutes, Blue Whale were rewarded a penalty kick after Lai was tackled inside the penalty area.
Tanaka, who had scored in each of her previous three games, took the spot-kick with a hard drive toward the left side to record the game’s opening goal.
Second-half substitute Su Yu-hsuan chalked up a late goal with 10 minutes remaining, as Blue Whale cruised to the 4-0 victory and the season title.
Meanwhile, Hualien faced rain and tough opposition at home, as Hang Yuan held them scoreless in the first half.
Ten minutes into the second half, Hang Yuan striker Chen Yen-ping put her team ahead, with a shot from outside the penalty area and over Hualien’s goalkeeper.
Hang Yuan kept up the pressure, and their defense held to deny Hualien chances for a back-to-back title win.
Kaohsiung Sunny Bank beat Taipei Bravo Bear 2-0, with Japanese midfielder Minori Wakabayashi again leading her team and scoring an early header. Lee Hsiun-chin secured the win with a late goal with 10 minutes left.
It was Sunny Bank’s best showing, as they ended the season tied with Hualien at 20 points and were third on goal difference.
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