Taipei-Taiwan’s hope of qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 for the first time in 32 years was dealt a blow Sunday after the women’s national team lost to Vietnam in the last game of the playoff series.
Vietnam defeated Taiwan 2-1 in the last game of the three-team round robin playoffs to secure the fifth and final automatic World Cup qualifying spot up for grabs at the AFC 2022 Women’s Asian Cup, held in a COVID-19 bubble from Jan. 20 to Feb. 6 in India.
Taiwan now progresses to a 10-team inter-confederation play-off tournament scheduled to take place in February 2023 for the final three spots at the upcoming World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to Aug. 20, 2023.
Thailand was the other country in the Asian Football Confederation to earn a berth at the tournament.
After the game, Taiwan’s head coach Kazuo Echigo expressed his disappointment but said he believes the team will still qualify for the World Cup.
Many of Taiwan’s experienced players were not able to play in the last two games, though this also gave younger players to a chance to grow, Echigo said.
“I also hope that fans will continue to support the women’s national soccer team as the opportunity to enter the World Cup is still there, and we will prepare harder. Please believe that we will punch our ticket to the World Cup,” Echigo said.
Back at the game, Taiwan, competing under Chinese Taipei, had six players unavailable for selection after they tested positive for COVID-19, while Vietnam had a full squad of 23 players.
Vietnam opened the scoring at D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai in the seventh minute with a header from defender Chuong Thi Kieu, who rose to nod home a corner from teammate Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung.
With a draw favoring Taiwan because of its superior goal difference to Vietnam in the playoffs, midfielder Wu Kai-ching (???) passed to forward Su Yu-hsuan (???) who sent the ball flying past Vietnam goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh into the bottom left corner in the 49th minute.
However, with the game tied Vietnam pushed forward, midfielder Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy collecting a cross from teammate Thai Thi Thao before scoring with a scorching shot that flew past Taiwan goalkeeper Tsai Ming-jung (???) in the 56th minute.
Taiwan was unable to create any scoring chances in the remainder of the match, while Vietnam secured an historic first appearance at the World Cup.
The defeat was the second time Taiwan has been within touching distance of qualifying for the global showpiece for the first time in 32 years, following a defeat to the Philippines Jan. 30 in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup.
Taiwan’s only previous appearance at the Women’s World Cup Finals came in its inaugural edition in 1991, when the national team advanced to the quarterfinals.
A women’s soccer pioneer in Asia, Taiwan is a three-time Asian champion, having won the title in 1977, 1979, and 1981.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel