Reigning champions TSG-Tainan on Sunday were held to a 1-1 draw at home, while Taiwan Leopard Cat were the only team to claim three points in the opening round of Taiwan Football Premier League matches.
Starting their title defense at home at Tainan City Soccer Field, TSG took on Taichung Futuro in the season curtain-raiser, but neither side could make a breakthrough until at just before halftime when when Futuro’s Japanese midfielder Shohei Yokoyama picked up the ball at top of center circle.
With his second touch, Yokoyama side-footed a brilliant pass that sliced open the TSG midfield and defenders, putting it into the path of striker Lee Mao.
Photo: screen grab from Taichung Futuro’s Facebook page
Taiwan international Lee took it in his stride and fired past TSG goalkeeper Pan Wen-chieh from the edge of the penalty area to put the visitors 1-0 up.
It remained that way until 71st minute when TSG forward Chen Jui-chieh advanced into the penalty area and passed to teammate Lin Chun-kai, whose blocked shot bounced back to Chen, who got entangled with a Futuro defender.
With the other Futuro players failing to react, Chen turned and smashed the ball past Japanese goalkeeper Kenya Matsui for the equalizer.
The other afternoon match in Taoyuan saw Hang Yuan face newly promoted Vikings, who bolstered their lineup in the close-season by signing Haitian striker and former Golden Boot winner Benchy Estama and Chilean midfielder Matias Godoy from Futuro.
Despite some good chances in front of goal, the match ended scoreless as Vikings earned their first point in the top tier of Taiwanese soccer.
There was a fast start as AC Taipei took on Taipower at the University of Taipei when Taipower attacking midfielder Wu Yen-shu crossed into the penalty area and Kao Wei-chieh headed home in the sixth minute.
The lead did not last long, as 10 minutes later AC Taipei striker Huang Sheng-chieh received a knockdown from a corner and volleyed past the goalkeeper to level the match at one goal apiece.
Both teams squandered chances later on before the match finished in a 1-1 draw.
Taiwan Leopard Cat were the big winners of the first round of matches when they scored late in a tight defensive contest against Ming Chuan University.
With seven minutes remaining, Leopard Cat striker Chen Po-hao latched on to a long pass from midfield and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net to claim all three points for last season’s runners-up.
The women’s league began on Saturday, with Mars beating Taipei Bravo 2-1, while defending champions Taichung Blue Whale had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Hang Yuan at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City.
In the other game, Hualien City drew 0-0 with Kaohsiung Attackers.
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