The Taiwan Times
  • News
    • Asia
    • World
    • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Health
    • COVID-19
  • Local Guides
    • Northern Taiwan
      • Keelung
      • Taipei
      • New Taipei
      • Taoyuan
      • Hsinchu
      • Miaoli
    • Central Taiwan
      • Taichung
      • Changhua
      • Yunlin
      • Nantou
    • Southern Taiwan
      • Chiayi
      • Tainan
      • Kaohsiung
      • Pingtung
    • Eastern Taiwan
      • Yilan
      • Hualien
      • Taitung
    • Outlying Islands
      • Kinmen
      • Penghu
The Taiwan Times The Taiwan Times
  • News
    • Asia
    • World
    • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Health
    • COVID-19
  • Local Guides
    • Northern Taiwan
      • Keelung
      • Taipei
      • New Taipei
      • Taoyuan
      • Hsinchu
      • Miaoli
    • Central Taiwan
      • Taichung
      • Changhua
      • Yunlin
      • Nantou
    • Southern Taiwan
      • Chiayi
      • Tainan
      • Kaohsiung
      • Pingtung
    • Eastern Taiwan
      • Yilan
      • Hualien
      • Taitung
    • Outlying Islands
      • Kinmen
      • Penghu
FOLLOW US
59K
2K
21K
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports

What’s Wrong With Taiwan Steel?

  • 4 minute read
Total
0
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Taiwan Premier League Fixtures - May 10th
Taiwan Premier League Fixtures – May 10th
Up next
Fubon Guardians Fan Art
Fubon Guardians’ Fans Show Their Love For The Team
    Published on 09 May 2020
    Author
    Jonathan Smith
    Tags
    • CTFA,
    • Football,
    • HYFC,
    • Taiwan Premier League,
    • Taiwan Steel,
    • Tatung
    Share article
    The post has been shared by 1 people.
    Facebook 1
    Twitter 0
    Pinterest 0
    Mail 0

    Taiwan Premier League - week four table
    The table after week 4 (credit: CTFA – Taiwan Premier League)

    Although the season is still in its infancy, it already looks like Taiwan Steel may be struggling to live up to pre-season expectations.

    The Tainan side have struggled for consistency in their first four games, having won twice and lost twice, with one of those wins a scraped 3-2 home victory over Red Lions FC, who have lost 4-0, 4-0, and 1-6 in their other games so far.

    What could be behind the team’s struggle?

    A lack of organisation?

    Taiwan Steel have signed some excellent players, but there are rumours of discontent behind the scenes [credit: Taiwan Steel]
    Taiwan Steel have signed some excellent players, but there are rumours of discontent behind the scenes [credit: Taiwan Steel]

    Over the winter offseason, Taiwan Steel signed a number of new players, including last season’s top scorers Benchy Estama and Marc Fenelus, Russian defender Alim Zumakulov and Taiwan’s starting goalkeeper Wen-Chieh Pan.With so many new players going into the starting lineup, it is perhaps to be expected that the team does not look settled yet.

    Taiwan Steel have scored a decent number of goals, but in all four games so far they will feel like they could have scored more, with promising positions often being squandered.

    However, worryingly for Steel, some players on the team feel that the lack of cohesion is being exacerbated by the current coaching setup.

    Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one Taiwan Steel player told Taiwan Football News that the coaching is poor and coaching staff “only want to throw the ball [and do] not want to play soccer.”

    The player was also critical of management generally, stating that those leading the club “don’t know football.”

    Whilst it’s not known how discontented the squad is in general, it is understood that there is is a shared sense of frustration, which could be affecting the team’s performances.

    Home “advantage”?

    “The worst pitch in Taiwan”? Steel’s temporary home is littered with scuffs and divots, which have not gone unnoticed by the viewing public [screenshot from Youtube]
    “The worst pitch in Taiwan”? Steel’s temporary home is littered with scuffs and divots, which have not gone unnoticed by the viewing public [screenshot from Youtube]

    In defence of head coach Lo Chi-Chong, Taiwan Steel have attempted to play some good football. With technically gifted players such as Fenelus, Benchy and Mati Godoy, this should yield results.However, the team’s efforts are often hampered by the state of their home field. With Steel’s usual home stadium not available due to unconfirmed reasons (but assumed to be due to Covid-19 restrictions), their nominal home ground is not exactly a surface to foster high-quality football.

    Although the CTFA has confirmed that there have not been any official complaints about the state of the pitch, a number of players have spoken negatively about the quality of the field.

    Described by a Red Lions player as “the worst pitch in Taiwan,” a Taichung Futuro player as “very bad” and “a little dangerous,” another Futuro player as “too bad” and “too difficult to play beautiful football [on],” and by a Taiwan Steel player as a “poor field,” it’s safe to say that Steel’s current home venue is fairly unpopular and may be hampering their efforts to play with cohesion.

    Other factors?

    Although it is hard to look beyond a combination of a new squad not connecting with their manager, whilst having their home advantage partly nullified, there could be a few other things causing Steel’s problems.

    As the presumed new power in Taiwanese football, Steel were always going to have a target on their back for other teams, who have appeared to have raised their game against them. Red Lions’ performance against them was by far their best of the season and it would have been a more comfortable win for Steel but for an absolute clanger by Steel’s Taiwan international goalkeeper Pan.

    The team may also be feeling fatigued by their training arrangements. Despite playing home games in Tainan, the team train during the week in New Taipei City. Although Taiwan is by no means enormous, it is surely reasonable to assume that the travel is having an impact on some level.

    What does the future hold?

    Although we are only four games into the season, in a 21 game season that represents almost a fifth of the season gone. Steel are already six points behind trailblazing Taipower, who are yet to drop a point. If Taipower continue to dominate, Steel will have to make an instant improvement to have any chance of reeling them in.Fortunately for Steel, this weekend could represent an opportunity to begin to do just that.

    Steel host NTUS, who have just a single point so far this season. This could be a chance to regain some confidence and prove that they are at least equal to the sum of their parts.

    Taipower, meanwhile, face a tricky away game against Taichung Futuro, who are also undefeated with two wins and two draws to their name, including a 1-0 away win over Steel last weekend.

    Elsewhere, defending champions Tatung will go into their game with second-place Hang Yuan FC confident of a win after a comfortable 5-1 win over NTUS last weekend, while MCU and Red Lions will try to edge away from the foot of the table when they meet.

    TFPL fixtures are broadcast for free on the CTFA Youtube channel. For our guide for international viewers, click here.

     

    1 comment
    1. Pingback: keto banana bread recipe

    Comments are closed.

    You May Also Like

    Apple pulls HKmap app from App Store after complaints from Chinese media

    Apple is known to be one of the companies which protects the
    • Kw Lin
    • October 10, 2019
    • 2 minute read

    Taiwan to Impose Health Declaration Forms on All Visitors

    Those failing to accurately do so face a fine of up to NT$150,000
    • Mark Buckton
    • February 12, 2020
    • 6 shares
      6
      0
      0
    • 1 minute read

    Taiwan ranked No. 1 country in the world for ‘work, make friends, and raise a family’

    We have seen that there have been a lot of surveys going
    • Kw Lin
    • October 8, 2019
    • 2 minute read

    NSC says that Taiwan will lose one or two more allies to China by 2020

    According to a new report by the National Security Council, Taiwan’s lose
    • Kw Lin
    • September 26, 2019
    • 2 minute read
    YouTube
    View on YouTube
    Follow Us
    Facebook 59K Likes
    Twitter 2K Followers
    Instagram 21K Followers
    Categories
    Recent Posts
    • Lithuania
      • News
      • World
      Russia threatens Lithuania for banning rail transfer
      • Ishita Paul
      • Opinion
      • Technology
      Study shows working in VR is not comfortable and neither productive
      • Yanqiu Li
    • Macron
      • News
      • World
      Macron refuses to accept PM’s resignation
      • Henry Chan
      • News
      • World
      Taiwan Policy Act of 2022: The most comprehensive revision of U.S. policy law toward Taiwan since 1979
      • Ivona Chen
    Search
    Advertisement
    Lithuania

    Russia threatens Lithuania for banning rail transfer

    Russia warned Lithuania to face serious consequences. This was after the rail
    • Ishita Paul
    • 2 minute read

    Study shows working in VR is not comfortable and neither productive

    Meta is trying to replace your laptops with virtual reality (VR) head-mounted
    • Yanqiu Li
    • 2 minute read
    Macron

    Macron refuses to accept PM’s resignation

    President Macron rejects Elisabeth Born resignation letter. French President Emmanuel…
    • Henry Chan
    • 2 minute read

    Taiwan Policy Act of 2022: The most comprehensive revision of U.S. policy law toward Taiwan since 1979

    Robert Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
    • Ivona Chen
    • 2 minute read
    The Taiwan Times
    59K
    2K
    21K
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Editorial Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Support The Taiwan Times
    • Sitemap
    台灣國際報 The Taiwan Times
    Taiwan's Trusted Journal - We ♥ Taiwan
    Copyright © The Taiwan Times All Rights Reserved