Taiwan’s soccer authorities have implemented major reforms to align the domestic game with international standards, including shifting the league season to follow the calendar year and launching a new FA Cup competition open to professional and amateur clubs.
The new tournament — officially named the Taiwan President FA Cup (總統盃) — is scheduled to begin on April 12 for the men’s division, and the following weekend (April 20) for the women’s division.
The CTFA, which governs the sport locally, has allocated a total prize pool of NT$4.7 million (US$152,943), officials said.
Photo courtesy of Hang Yuan FC’s Facebook page.
Modeled on the English FA Cup, the competition is open to all teams from Taiwan’s professional leagues as well as registered amateur sides, provided their players are aged 18 or older.
Teams must register and pay an entry fee to participate, CTFA officials said during a club event hosted by Hang Yuan FC over the weekend.
NEW KITS
At a season launch event in Taipei, Hang Yuan FC unveiled its men’s and women’s team rosters along with new kits designed by Taiwanese sportswear brand Entes. Head coach Hong Ching-huai (洪慶懷) also addressed the club’s transfer plans, saying they are scouting one or two tall forwards from Central Asia.
“We’re looking to bring in a tall striker to give us an edge in the box — someone who can help us improve our attacking play and pick up more goals,” Hong told reporters.
The coach highlighted last season’s achievements, with the men’s team finishing third in the top division and the women’s team securing second place behind champions Kaohsiung Attackers.
He said that with some strategic additions to the squads, both teams could contend for the league title this year.
Hang Yuan, which shares a home ground in partnership with Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City, is preparing to field both A and B squads in the upcoming President FA Cup, Hong said.
The B team would primarily feature younger players to help them develop their skills and gain valuable match experience, he said, adding that standout performers would be promoted to the senior squad.
CUP FORMAT
Twenty men’s clubs have registered for the inaugural President FA Cup, and the teams would be divided into four groups of five, a CTFA news release said.
Ten women’s teams have registered and would compete in two groups of five, it said, adding that the tournament would culminate in a knockout stage, with a final eight for the men and a final four for the women later this summer.
Meanwhile, the CTFA board has approved a restructuring of the domestic soccer calendar to align with international competition schedules. Starting this year, the Taiwan Football Premier League (TFPL) and the women’s top division would run from August through May, in line with most European and Asian leagues, CTFA deputy secretary-general Chen Liang-chen (陳亮辰) said.
The revised calendar is expected to better align Taiwan’s domestic league with major Asian Football Confederation competitions and international qualifiers, improving opportunities for player development and club participation on the continental stage.
For decades, the TFPL and its predecessor, the Taiwan Inter-City League, followed a calendar-year format — typically beginning in April and concluding in December.
However, nearly all AFC members operate on a cross-calendar-year schedule, except for China and South Korea.
‘ZHONGZHENG’ CUP
Local soccer experts and veterans have said that Taiwan’s shift is less an innovation and more a return to past practices.
Before the 1990s, Taiwan’s top-tier soccer league traditionally began in the summer and ended the following spring.
It was not until the launch of the Inter-City League that the schedule was changed to fit within a single calendar year.
Longtime observers also said that Taiwan once had a national cup tournament akin to the English FA Cup during what is often referred to as the country’s “golden era of soccer” in the 1950s and 1960s.
Known originally as the Jieshou Cup (介壽盃) and later renamed the Zhongzheng Cup (中正盃), the tournament titles referenced Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) chairman Wang Lin-hsiang (王麟祥) told reporters: “I played soccer as a teenager back in the 1960s, when we had cup tournaments such as the Jieshou Cup, which was later renamed the Zhongzheng Cup, and eventually became the CTFA Cup (足協盃) decades later.”
“Now, we have decided to relaunch it as the President FA Cup in 2025,” he said.
“This will help cultivate young talent and generate greater public interest in soccer in Taiwan,” he added.
By the time Cameron Menzies finally left the arena on Monday, the blood gushing from the gash on his right hand had trickled down his wrist, part of his forearm and — somehow — up to his face. Smeared in crimson and regret, and already mouthing sheepish apologies to the crowd, he disappeared down the steps, pursued by a stern-looking Matt Porter, the chief executive of Professional Darts Corp (PDC). The physical scars from Menzies’ encounter with the Alexandra Palace drinks table after his 3-2 defeat against Charlie Manby at the Darts World Championship would be gone within a few weeks.
Manchester United on Monday blew the lead three times to miss out on moving up to fifth in the Premier League as AFC Bournemouth would not be beaten in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Old Trafford. United have lost just once in their past 10 games, but Ruben Amorim would be frustrated as more points at home were frittered away despite arguably the best attacking display of his reign in charge. Amad Diallo and Casemiro gave the hosts a halftime lead either side of Antoine Semenyo’s equalizer. Two Bournemouth goals from Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier in seven minutes at the start of the
LOW-GOAL SHOOT-OUT: Of the nine penalties in the shoot-out, only three went in, with Flamengo’s Samuel Lino, and Vitinha and Nuno Mendes of PSG netting Matvei Safonov on Wednesday made four straight penalty saves in a penalty shoot-out to help Paris Saint-Germain beat Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup final and win a sixth trophy of the year. The Russian goalkeeper was thrown in the air by his teammates after his exploits in the shoot-out, which was won 2-1 by PSG after a 1-1 draw after extra-time. It completed a trophy-laden 12 months for the French team, who had already won the Trophee des Champions, Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup — also on penalties against Tottenham Hotspur in
Italian Luca de Aliprandini described Saturday’s World Cup giant slalom at Val d’Isere as the hardest race of his life, coming two days after his Swiss partner Michelle Gisin suffered a heavy fall in training which required neck surgery. De Aliprandini finished 26th in the men’s event won by Loic Meillard, but the result paled into insignificance with two-time Olympic ski champion Gisin in hospital with injuries to her wrist, knee and cervical spine (neck). “It was Michelle’s wish that I race here. I couldn’t say no to her, but it was the toughest race of my entire life,” an emotional De
RSS