Taiwan Football Premier League – 18 reasons to tune in live on YouTube
- CTFA will broadcast all four games on YouTube with champions Tatung’s goalfest against Red Lions coming with English commentary
- Opening week saw last season’s top two play out a 3-2 thriller with a last minute winner and 4.5 goals per game
If you are looking for your football fix during the coronavirus lockdown then choices are few and far between.
You could well watch all of them while in your isolation but if you are only going to have time for one, then it should be the TFPL.
Why? How about 18 reasons?
There were 18 goals across four games in week one. That is a whopping 4.5 per game, which knocks your English Premier League into a cocked hat.
In fact, Europe’s big five leagues tend to only offer between 2.5 to 3 goals per game, based on recent seasons, so maybe you should not miss European football’s bore-fest at all.
By contrast, Taiwan’s season kick-off last week saw a battle between last year’s top two – Tatung and Taipower – and it finished 3-2 to the perennial runners-up. Your EPL fixture computers would not come up with that – Liverpool vs Manchester City on opening weekend? Not on your nelly.
That opening game could have easily gone the other way. Tatung had a chance to win it in the 90th minute with Turkey-born Taiwan international Onur Dogan seeing his shot snuffed out before the decisive drama at the other end.
Li Xiang-wei ended up with the ball from 12 yards out and he forced it home, despite the best efforts of Shih Shin-an in the Tatung goal.
This week’s game sees champions Tatung take on the Red Lions in what should be a thriller – or at least goal-heavy. Red Lions were the only team to fail to score in the opening week – and they shipped four at the other end. It could and probably should have been more.
There’s a title race after just a week. Four-time champions Tatung are three points off the pace already after their derby defeat in the opening game. Their rivals for the title all won with the cash-splashing Taiwan Steel smashing Ming Chuan University 4-2.
The Haitian sensation Benchy Estama bagged a brace in that win, with last season’s top scorer picking up where he left off at his new home. Estama swapped Hang Yuen for the Tainan City side.
His new teammate and last season’s MVP Marc Fenelus also notched on his first start for his new club. The men of steel set their stall out early doors but Futuro, who should fancy their title chances this season, also took maximum points.
Best of all, there is English commentary this week on the CTFA YouTube channel for the big match while they will also screen all four games.
If you’ve got four screens then you can feast on football.
Week Two fixtures – all kick-offs 4pm (Hong Kong time) Hang Yuen vs Taichung Futuro, Taiwan Steel vs Taipower, Tatung vs Red Lions, Ming Chuan University vs Taiwan Sports University.
