Review of 2020 Taiwan Mulan Premier League and League Cup

November 17, 2020.

Initially it was announced that the champions of the Taiwan Mulan Premier League were to be determined by way of play-offs, with the 15 game regular season used to determine the positions in the play-off places. However, later during the season it was decided that the play-offs would instead be a separate competition, the Mulan League Cup !

After 10 rounds of matches, with everyone having played each other twice, unbeaten Hualien sat 5 points clear of Taichung Blue Whale. This good form continued in final third of the season, and the title was clinched with a game to spare with a 2-1 win over their nearest rivals. A draw on the final day of the season was of little consequence, and Hualien finished the league season unbeaten, with just three draws from their 15 games. It was Hualien’s first title since 2016 and their fourth success in total, and ended Taichung’s run of three previous championships.

Blue Whale finished 6 points behind in second place and although they won 11 of their matches, three defeats in the encounters with Hualien proved fatal. An earlier season loss to Taipei Bravo ( 0-1 ) also didn’t help. Although Blue Whale had two potent goal scorers in Michelle Pao and Lee Hsiu Chen, Hualien were worthy champions, not just for remaining unbeaten but they were also able to ruthless exploit Taichung’s aerial defensive weaknesses. As noted in these diariesin the review of Round 10, "one of the big differences between the two sides was the goal-keeping. Taichung looked vulnerable every time the ball was played high into their penalty area, and keeper Chen did not inspire confidence. In comparison, Hualien keeper Hung Lin looked safe and confident in dealing with crosses and generally demonstrated sound handling throughout". 

Hualien also had their own threats going forward, with Wu Shi Ping usually on hand to finish off the chances created by strike partner Tan Wen Lin, Korean Lin Kai Ling  on the left flank and Zhou Li Ping from the right wing.

Mulan League Cup

Quarter Finals – October 24, 2020, Taipei Athletic Field

Taipei Bravo  5-1 Kaohsiung Yangxin

Taoyuan International 2-1 New Taipei Air Source

The quarter finals predictably went to form. Taipei Bravo took an early 2-0 lead, thanks to the outstanding Hsing Hui Lin ( No 14 ), but Koahsiung fought back to peg the score line to 2-1 and then failed to convert a couple of half chances to level the score. However, once Kai Jou Liang ( No 11 ) restored the two goal advantage, Taipei Bravo coasted to victory. The fourth goal feature an impressive piece of skill by Lin, performing a back flick ove the full back reminiscent of Coventry’s Ernie Hunt ( for those old enough to remember that ! ) and although the chance was blocked, the ball was quickly crossed for Sin Yun Su ( No 9 ) to finish and to make it 4-1 at half-time. A long distance shot over the keeper midway through the second half completed the scoring.

New Taipei ( now also known as Hang Yuen ) took an early shock lead through Zeng’s ( No 27 ) clever lob, but Taoyuan came back to win, although the decisive goal was an extremely fortunate own goal. Yu Wen Chi’s attempt to head clear a corner went high into the air, the New Taipei keeper flapped at it but couldn’t prevent the ball bouncing into the roof of  the net. This spoilt an otherwise solid performance from the New Taipei shot-stopper.

Semi-Finals – October 31, 2020, Hualien

Hualien 3-2 Taoyuan International

Taichung Blue Whale 2-1 Taipei Bravo

Taoyuan had drawn 3-3 with champions Hualien in the final fixture of the regular season, and they took a first half lead when a bad pass was intercepted and squared for leading scorer Ding Qi ( No 17 ) to side foot home. Taoyuan then missed two good chances to extend their lead but it remained 0-1 at half-time.

Hualien responded strongly, with an equaliser two minutes after the break from Chen Ya Wei ( No 7 ) , before Wu Shi Ping’s ( No 13 ) nice flick put Lin Kai Ling ( No 21 ) clear to score in the 56^th minute.  Ling scored again 12 minutes later when her mishit shot hit the post but she forced the ball over the line as she held onto the post as several defenders dived in in an attempt to stop it. The game wasn’t over though, and a nice reverse pass put Ding Qi through to fire home to make it 3-2 with 8 minutes to play but Hualien held out with any real alarms to progress to the final.

For most of the other semi-final Taipei Bravo had looked the better side and with 10 minutes left to play they led 1-0 thanks to a Liang ( No 11 ) cross sailed over keeper and in off post in the 61^st minute. However, two goals in a minute rescued Blue Whale. A soft penalty for handball was converted by Michelle Pao ( No 5 ) and then a cross from the bye line from Lee Hsiu Chen ( No 10 ) was swept home from 8 yards Nian Jing Yun ( No 3 ).

Final – November 7, 2020, Taipei Athletic Field

Hualien 1-0 Taichung Blue Whale

Taichung sprung a surprise by excluding top scorer Michelle Pao from their starting line-up. The hugely talented Pao was the league’s top scorer with 21 goals, having mostly played in midfield, and had actually played in defence during Taiwan’s Olympic qualifying matches in February. Afterwards, it was explained that the Blue Whale manager wanted to keep her fresh in the second half in anticipation of a tough game and potentially extra time !

Nevertheless, it was Taichung who started the best, forcing a couple of saves from Hung Lin, and Yun ( No 3 ) intercepted a pass out from the back from Hung Lin but couldn’t keep the ball in play. Hualien were reduce to harmless long shots, and Wu, Blue Whale’s keeper in only her second start for the side, dealt comfortably with the crosses and corners delivered into her six yard area. The best chance of the first half fell to Taichung in the 32^nd minute when Fang Wei ( No 11 ) headed just wide under pressure from the Hualien keeper.

Taichung introduced Michelle Pao at half-time to play on the right wing, but she was not involved in their next chance which came in the 50^th minute, when Tanaka’s ( No 21 ) splendid cross picked out Lee Hsiu Chen ( No 10 ) free at the far post but she was unable to control and the chance went begging.

That miss proved costly, as two minutes later, Hualien captain Huang ( No 8 ) delivered an inswinging corner into the Blue Whale six yard box. Keeper Wu, under pressure from Wei ( No 7 ) and a defender missed the ball, leaving the unmarked Wu Shi Ping’s ( No 13 ) to steer home from 3 yards for her 19^th goal of the season and to give Hualien the lead.

Taichung thought they had promptly equalised when Tanaka’s 20 yard dipping shot was spilt by Hung Lin, who then manage to place one hand on the ball before it was kicked by Lee Hsiu Chen and tapped into the empty net by Fang Wei. When I was playing the goal-keeper had to have two hands on the ball, but the law now states :

 A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball:

• while the ball is between his hands or between his hand and any surface (e.g. ground, own body)
• while holding the ball in his outstretched open hand
• while in the act of bouncing it on the ground or tossing it into the air

Therefore in this basis the goal was correctly disallowed !

Taichung dominated the last 30 minutes of the match, but Hualien defended resolutely. Half-hearted appeals for a penalty were waived away as the defender clearly played the ball not the attacker, and with 3 minutes left Fang Wei running onto a cross flicked just wide as Hung Lin came off her line. A minute later Nian Jing Yun headed over from a good position. However, despite all the pressure, Hualien held on for victory and to achieve the double for the season