11th June marked the start of the second round of qualifiers in the Asia section. Despite winning their way through the first round, the Group F side started this round with a loss. Coach Chen KUEI-JEN spoke about the condition of the team at the end of their first match as well as the prospects for the squad in its upcoming games – to continue until March of next year.

Chinese Taipei (Group F)
Round 1 / 12-03-2015 / CHINESE TAIPEI 0 - 1 BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Round 1 / 17-03-2015 / BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 0 - 2 CHINESE TAIPEI
Round 2 / 16-06-2015 / CHINESE TAIPEI 0 - 1 THAILAND


From the First Qualification Round to the end of their first match against Thailand (16th June, in Chinese Taipei) in the Second Qualification Round
In the first game (against Brunei) of our first qualification round in the Asia section, we failed to finish with a victory, despite the many chances we had at scoring. However, in our second match – played away – we developed an aggressive attacking technique and played our best. As a result, we put some pressure on our opponent and won the match 2-0. These two matches (scores of 0-1/ 2-0) gave us an aggregate of 2-1, allowing us to pass the first round of qualification in the Asia section – a satisfying outcome.

We did not achieve the result we expected in our first match in the second round of qualification. However, our defenders performed excellently. Our midfielders also controlled the ball with good tempo. In order to improve as a team, the national side of Chinese Taipei has to build experience and use what it learnt from its first game in the match against Iraq (3rd September, in Iraq), where we hope to play a sharper game.


(Chinese Taipei vs. Thailand, 16th June, Chinese Taipei)

The Upcoming Second Round Qualifiers in the Asia Section
Group F consists of two ASEAS teams Thailand and Vietnam, (*Indonesia is excluded due to the suspension of its FIFA accreditation) and the Middle Eastern team Iraq, making it a difficult group for us to win. However, we have undergone various types of training, piled up experience by playing friendly matches, and plan to continue creating a terrific team. Our current side will face teams that possess a range of football tactics, which provides us with a valuable opportunity to build our experience. We will prepare well for our fans of Chinese Taipei and the people of Chinese Taipei that support our team, and win our games for them.


About the Chinese Taipei National Team
About two years have passed since I took the reins at this team. My assistant coach, Mr Chen Chunn Ming, has also been coaching the national team for two years, and the squad consists of a number of players who were coached by Mr Chen in the youth teams. We have invested a lot of time to this team, and created a national side that has improved with experienced and grown stronger.
The two players I would like everyone to keep an eye on are number 17 Chen Po Liang and number 8 Xavier Chen.

Chen Po Lian possesses inimitable leadership skills within the team. His experiences up to now are of value to the team, and have a positive influence on the whole national squad.

Xavier Chen plays for Guizhou Renhe in the China Super League, and is a role model for the whole team both on and off the field. During our training camp, he pointed out team issues from a fresh perspective, and influenced his teammates in a positive way.


Only today have the people of the Chinese Taipei begun to pay attention to the game of football. It puts a smile in my face to see countless fans and people interested in Chinese Taipei’s football supporting the national squad and football in Chinese Taipei. I believe that our performance in the second qualifying round in the Asia section will foster a better environment for Chinese Taipei’s football, and will bring about a further increase in the popularity of the sport in Chinese Taipei.

(Chinese Taipei vs. Thailand, 16th June, Chinese Taipei)