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By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Beitou Junior High School yesterday captured their first futsal title on the final day of the national schools’ competition, despite a 3-2 loss to Kuokou Junior High School.
The Taipei-based team had dominated at the competition since it began on Saturday last week, going undefeated through their first six games before the final-day loss, giving them an unassailable 18 points to be crowned junior champions this year.
Chiayi County-based Kuokou (16 points) were second with a 5-1-1 record.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan’s national soccer association via CNA
The national futsal association organized the championship, with 16 teams in the boys’ division and 14 in the girls’ division at the Taipei Gymnasium, the Taipei Arena and Wufong University in Chiayi County.
Beitou’s win on Friday against eventual third-place finishers Longsing Junior High School (Taoyuan) sealed the title.
The Friday match was scoreless until in the final minute, when forward Chou Yu-cheng received a backheel pass and slotted home the winner.
Photo courtesy of the national fusal association
Beitou head coach Ho Kuo-chen said he knew that lapses could happen on either side, so he urged his players to be vigilant.
“I told my players to have patience and concentrate until the end,” Ho said. “They had to wait for a good opportunity in front of the goal.”
“The title shows that our training program is working, elevating players’ skills and boosting their confidence,” he said.
“The team dedicate this title to our school, as we are building a new gymnasium, which will be opened in a few days,” he said.
National Minsyong Vocational High School smashed Hsinfeng High School (Tainan) 5-0 on Friday for the Chiayi County-based team’s sixth consecutive win as they claimed the senior division title.
In the girls’ division, New Taipei Senior High School swept through five matches undefeated to defend the title they won last year.
Separately, the national women’s soccer team were training in Jounieh, Lebanon, as they prepare to face Indonesia on Tuesday in Group F of the Asia Zone qualifiers for next year’s Paris Olympic Games.
The team routed the hosts 5-1 on Wednesday at the Fouad Chehab Stadium.
Coaches and players sent messages home to report that they were safe after Lebanese territory was targeted by Israeli strikes, with reports that a sports stadium had been hit.
Taiwan’s national soccer body and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs relayed message from the squad saying that they were all safe, and the fighting was in southern Lebanon and had not affected Jounieh, which is in the central region, 16km north of the capital, Beirut.
The soccer body yesterday said that it initiated emergency measures immediately after it received reports about the military incidents to contact the team and the Lebanese Football Association to ensure it would be updated regularly on the situation.
Ministry officials said that they had established a hot line for players, officials and coaches to provide updates and seek help if needed.
The ministry added that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Jordan has been ordered to keep in contact with the squad and provide assistance.
With a win against Indonesia, Taiwan would advance to the second round, where tough opposition await, including Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Australia, teams who did not need to play in the early qualification rounds.
