Taiwan on Thursday were routed 4-0 by China in the opening match of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Mumbai, India, while the hosts lacked a cutting edge in front of goal in their 0-0 draw with debutants Iran.
Taiwan midfielder Lai Li-chin told reporters that China are a very strong team and Taiwan’s defense was not strong enough, but her team had learned some valuable lessons.
“As for the next two games, we hope to put all our effort into winning them so we can advance to the next World Cup,” Lin said of the side’s matches against India tomorrow and Iran on Wednesday at the tournament that also doubles as the continent’s qualifier for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Photo: AFP
China have not won the Asian Cup since 2006, but Shui Qingxia’s side made the perfect start in their opening game in Group A at the Mumbai Football Arena.
Wang Shuang’s brace bookended a convincing performance from her team, the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder putting China ahead from the penalty spot with less than three minutes on the clock.
Zhang Linyan had been bundled over inside the penalty area just 90 seconds into the game by Pan Yen-hsin and referee Abirami Naidu pointed to the spot.
Wang coolly rolled the ball into the corner, sending goalkeeper Cheng Ssu-yu the wrong way.
Within a further six minutes Shui’s side had doubled their lead when Wang Shanshan met Gao Chen’s cross from the right, her header going in off the inside of the post.
Nine minutes into the second half China claimed a third with Wang Shuang providing the pass that allowed Zhang Xin to find space behind the Taiwan defense before stroking her effort home.
Zhang returned the favor 14 minutes later when her cross from the left was somehow missed by four defenders and Wang Shuang kept her head to score.
Taiwan are appearing in the tournament for the first time in 14 years. They are three-time Asian champions, having won the title in 1977, 1979 and 1981.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev was the only athlete to “beat” a world record on Sunday at the Enhanced Games, winning the men’s 50m freestyle at the divisive competition where athletes were free to take performance-enhancing substances. His time of 20.81 seconds — which is not considered official — came in the final event of the night in Las Vegas, sparing the blushes of organizers who made claims that multiple world records would be surpassed due to a sophisticated doping regime. Gkolomeev, who was wearing a synthetic “supersuit” long banned at events such as the Olympics, outpaced Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s 20.88 set in
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
The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles at the French Open, after she and German partner Mark Wallner defeated Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Briton Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, despite temperatures exceeding 32°C in Paris, while Taiwan’s top men’s doubles player Ray Ho also reached the second round. Hsieh, who made it to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 2024, and Wallner defeated Klepac and Glasspool 6-3, 7-5 in just more than an hour, converting three of five break points, while holding their opponents to just one conversion
RSS