The Taiwanese women’s national team did their best but ultimately finished on the losing side in their quarter final against North Korea. The result eliminated the Mulan from the 2026 Asian games tournament, having reached the knockout-out phase for the fourth successive tournament— a record for Taiwanese national teams.
It should be noted that Taiwan did well to even qualify for the quarterfinals given that they were placed in probably the most difficult group in the tournament. But having survived the opening round of games, their reward was to play the North Koreans— currently ranked 11th in the world by FIFA and second in the Asian region.
The Mulan game plan was simple; sit deep and try to create something on the counter attack. For a while that plan seemed to be working but with twenty-one minutes played, the North Koreans finally got the opening they were looking for.
Song-Chun-sim got her team on the scoresheet with a powerful shot and that began a twelve minute explosion of North Korean fire power. Soon after Myong Yu-jong doubled her country’s lead and then Kim Kying-yong scored her 33rd goal in just 27 appearances with a header.
Thanks to Wang Yu-ting, Taiwan were able to keep things respectable but the North Koreans added a further two goals in the second half.
Taiwan grabbed a consolation goal with their only shot of the game when Liu Yu-Chiao got loose down the right and her cross found fellow substitute Chen Yu-chen for a deft finish but that was the only bright spot for the Mulan.
Indeed, the North Koreans played as good as they looked on paper. Seventeen shots– with nine on target– plus 70% possession for the game was a reminder why they are Japan’s main competition to win this edition of the Asian Games.
The North Koreans will now advance to the semi-finals whilst Taiwan will turn their attention to the final round of World Cup qualification in November.
