For the second time in four months, the Taiwanese women’s national team came up against China– but this time the Mulan left the field with their heads held high. Ultimately, China deserved the win in their second game of the EAFF Finals but Taiwan will take heart from an improved performance against a historic rival.

In a similar fashion to their game against Japan, Taiwan allowed China to have the lions share of possession. Perhaps sensing this, China started the game with an attacking 4-1-3-2 formation to force their way through the low-block defense of Taiwan.

With Taiwan’s formation designed to stop teams playing around them, China instead played over them for the first goal. Zhang Xin’s curling cross into the box was placed perfectly for Shao Ziqin to get her head to. Although the forward sent her header crashing onto the cross bar, she reacted the quickest to the rebound and gave her country the lead.

China continued to rely on lofted crosses to break down the determined Taiwan defense and doubled their lead on the sixteenth minute by doing just that.

With the ball bouncing around in the box after Zhang’s corner kick, someone should have got it clear. But instead, Shen Mengyu was able to find space for herself and volley a shot past a stranded Wang Yu-ting. Taiwan’s captain, Chen Ying-hui, could be seen screaming at her teammates in the aftermath of the goal and her frustration was absolutely justified.

However, Taiwan emerged in the second half with a more determined outlook and within a few minutes, Su Yu-hsuan had pulled a goal back with a fantastic strike. After Chen Ying-hui’s long pass caught the Chinese defense on the back foot, the striker still had a lot of work to do but having dribbled past one defender, Su’s rasping shot was perfectly placed. It was a sensational strike and suddenly the underdogs had some hope.

With sixty-eight minutes played, Taiwan then tied the game up, albeit against the run of play. The fresh legs of substitute Chen Jin-wen allowed her to surge past several Chinese players before playing the ball across goal to an unmarked Chen Yu-chin. The seventeen-year old could scarcely believe her luck and converted the cross and suddenly Taiwan had come back from a two-nil deficit.

It felt too good to be true, and indeed it was. China continued to push forward but suddenly were playing with nervous energy rather than cool confidence. Wang Yu-ting continued to make key saves but it was backs against the walls stuff.

Eight minutes from the end of regular time, China struck for the decisive third goal after Wang Yanwen went for broke and unleashed a swerving shot from about twenty-five yards. China then grabbed a fourth goal via the head of Shao, albeit because Taiwan had pushed so many players forward in search of an equalizer.

To be clear, China deserved to win and were the better side overal. But for a few minutes, Taiwan showed they could hang with one of the best national teams in Asia. However fleeting that moment was, it is further signs of growth for the Mulan, who left the field looking somewhat dejected.

One final EAFF game awaits against a strong South Korean side and the challenge will be to build on a valiant second half showing rather than let the China defeat deflate them further.

Photo Credit: EAFF