The coach of Taiwan women’s futsal squad is making final preparations and assessing players for selection ahead of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Futsal Championship in Thailand next month.
“We have introduced some new concepts during training and the players are improving their teamwork,” head coach Chang Yao-ming said yesterday.
Chang is being helped by experienced Brazilian assistant coach Adil Amarante after officials extended his contract to work with the women’s team after he oversaw the men’s team last year.
Taiwan’s women on Sunday played Macau in a friendly and picked up an impressive 4-0 win, after which Chang said he is confident of getting good results against group opponents Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh when the competition starts on May 2.
Meanwhile, in the Taiwan Mulan Football League, Taipei PlayOne striker Chen Yen-ping on Saturday fired a hat-trick in a 6-0 victory over Inter Taipei at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City.
The other match saw veteran Li Hsiu-chin grab a brace and new signing Michelle Pao score on her debut to lead Taichung Blue Whale over Hualien City 5-1.
In the men’s Taiwan Football Premier League, fans on Sunday were treated to a rousing performance in the nightcap, when Taipei’s Tatung, the reigning champions, took on Tainan City, the bottom-placed finishers last season with only two wins, at the Taipei Municipal Stadium.
Tainan City surprisingly took the lead in the 13th minute from a corner-kick, which striker Wu Chun-ching lashed home after a weak attempt at a clearance.
Turks and Caicos Islands forward Marc Fenelus sent a low cross into teammate Onur Dogan, who fired in the equalizer in the 31st minute.
Tainan City put on a staunch defensive display as the score remained 1-1 late into the game, but Tatung eventually prevailed 10 minutes from time when Fenelus, last season’s winner of the Golden Boot with 35 goals, slotted home from close range.
In other matches, National Sports Training Center battled to a 1-1 draw with Taiwan Sports University of Taichung, Hang Yuen blanked Royal Blues 2-0 and Kaohsiung’s Taipower defeated newcomers Taicheng Lions 2-1.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Japan yesterday secured a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance with a 2-1 win over 2023 champions Canada, thanks to Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino in the qualifying doubles decider. Shibahara and Aoyama powered through the opening set 6-3, breaking twice for a quick 3-0 lead. Cross and Marino hit back in the second, edging it 7-5 to level the match, before the Japanese pair regained control in the third. Canada’s 18-year-old Victoria Mboko edged Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5 in a marathon opening clash. Mboko fired eight aces to
Kumar Rocker, a first-round pick in both the 2021 and 2022 drafts, on Thursday won for the first time in the major leagues. Rocker struck out a career-best eight in a career-best seven innings as the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 to complete a three-game sweep. Rocker (1-2) threw a career-high 78 pitches and allowed three runs on five hits without a walk. The 25-year-old right-hander was drafted third overall by Texas in 2022, a year after concerns over a physical led to him going unsigned by the New York Mets as the 10th overall pick. He made his major
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