Taiwan Football Premier League (TFPL) title-holders Taiwan Steel Group (TSG) beat Hang Yuan FC 3-1 on their home pitch for the first time in two years on Sunday — a convincing victory for Hong Kong’s Kenneth Kwok in his new role as coach.
TSG’s owners signed Kwok to lead the team for this TFPL season. He is filling the role of coach and technical director, while working with head coach Lo Chih-tsung, who has achieved remarkable success in capturing the TFPL championship title two years in a row.
“In Hong Kong, we speak to all players in English... I sharpened up my Mandarin by taking courses when coaching in China. So I have no problem here in Taiwan. I can talk to local players, and can communicate with foreign players in English,” Kwok said yesterday.
Photo: Jason Pan, Taipei Times
Getting a good result at the AFC Cup qualifiers next month is also a top priority for TSG.
“To advance, we have to score goals, so we must bolster our attacking play up front,” Kwok said, adding that he is familiar with the team’s Group J opponents, having previously encountered Hong Kong’s Eastern Sports Club and Lee Man, as well as Macau’s Chao Pak Kei.
Kwok was a former assistant national coach in Hong Kong and managed several of the territory’s pro clubs.
Photo: Jason Pan, Taipei Times
Lo handed the reins over to him on Sunday, allowing him to take charge for the first time.
The match was a long-awaited one for local fans, as the team’s Yonghua Stadium, which has a grass pitch, had been closed for renovations for two years. TSG last hosted a home game in May 2020.
Yonghua Stadium has a long history. It is the oldest soccer field in the nation to have been in continuous use since it was built during the Japanese colonial era in 1928.
TSG broke through Hang Yuan’s defense at the 15-minute mark, when midfielder Chang Hao-wei backheeled a pass to Ivorian forward Ange Samuel, who smashed the ball past goalkeeper Lai Po-lun.
After the ensuing kickoff, TSG took the ball from Hang Yuan, and forward Chen Jui-chieh raced down left flank. Chen fed a short pass to Turks and Caicos striker Marco Fenelus, who beat Lai with a lofted shot.
Just after the half-hour mark, TSG again created a turnover and Samuel advanced into the goal area, but was tackled from behind. The referee awarded a penalty, and Fenelus scored, taking TSG to 3-0 before intermission.
Ten minutes after halftime, Hang Yuan defender Yang Jia-bao scored from the corner with a glancing header, but the goal was credited to midfielder Wu Yen-shu who took the corner-kick.
Afterward, Kwok said that the skill of TFPL players is comparable to Hong Kong’s top soccer division, although some aspects of their game could be improved, such as their fitness and stamina.
In Sunday’s other match, Haitian striker Benchy Estama notched a hat-trick for Taichung Futuro, leading his team to a 5-1 thrashing of AC Taipei in Taoyuan.
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