With a rustle running through the grass, a short, clear impact rang out on the Taoyuan Qingpu Stadium; in less than a second, the sphere that had been close to the ground became a small dot on the edge of the skyline.
Once you've seen the Taoyuan International men's and women's soccer teams (English team name Inter Taoyuan Football Club) practicing, you won't be able to agree with the statement that Taiwan is not a 'soccer desert'. At first glance, you will notice that the composition of the team is unique. Some are students, some are members of the community, some are blonde, some are dark-skinned with deep profiles; if you listen carefully, you can also hear Chinese and English interspersed with different accents, shouting at each other on the pitch.
Taoyuan International is more than that. In this interview and filming, we will dig out more unique and moving stories from this Taiwanese soccer frontline team.
Taoyuan International was founded out of three boys' passion for soccer. in 2003, there was a weak soccer atmosphere in Taiwan and a shortage of related educational resources in the country. The boys, who came from an American school and were obsessed with soccer, tried to find professional coaches. With the addition of coaches, they also found more passionate kids in Taiwan about soccer.
Jamaican coach Oliver Lazarus Harley In an effort to attract more players, Zhenying worked with coaches from the Netherlands and England to run the 'International Football Club', the predecessor of Taoyuan International. With the three coaches' efforts in education, the club membership gradually increased to 200, and the Taoyuan International soccer team was finally established in 2019 in partnership with Taoyuan. Taoyuan International Head Coach Oliver Lazarus Harley Town Zhao.
"Many of the players joined the team from U10 and slowly grew up to the present. Even when they leave the team, they continue to play in college soccer teams and professional soccer leagues." Oliver, who has watched the evolution of the team, said with a pleased look that many of the players in the team have reached the age of 6 and have been playing for 7 years, and since they have grown up together in the club and Taoyuan International, soccer has become an inseparable part of their lives.
The team name "Inter" represents the English word "international" which is also the key word for the entire team. The team consists of players from all over the world and from all parts of the community, including Israel, France, Japan, and players of different age groups from more than 20 different countries. Together with the three coaches from different countries, the team's training model, player's mindset, and sports strategies are different from those of a typical college team in the campus system. "We have our own unique cooperation model, which we call "Inter System". We learn different ideas and strategies from players and coaches from different countries and different ages, and through communication and integration, they become the common understanding of the team."
For example, Roxy, a player from Vietnam, had no formal training before joining Inter. With his passion for soccer, he worked in a factory during the day and practiced at night; after five years of grueling training, I finally made it to this year's high level (Taiwan B Soccer League). "He was broad-minded and practiced diligently. The corps members are inspired by his efforts and they connect with the whole team." Oliver knows players big and small. Xu Hong, who has played in the Asian Games, often discusses tactics and exchanges tips one-on-one with corps members. "He's a great leadership style character and has one of the best match experience of any player on the line at the moment." Xu Hong.
Olivia emphasized that identifying a good player depends not only on specific skills, but also on his ability to score more shots. Taoyuan International focuses on different players' personalities, attitudes, and even their stages of life, integrating them into a team that gathers various strengths to function as 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'.
This philosophy of diversity and openness is also reflected in Peachtree International's training methods. "I will give advice, but I never teach a specific strategy. The game is as fluid as life, and we need a lot of different ideas to deal with it. I believe every player is capable of judging the situation." Peachland International breaks away from the traditional filler training and develops the players' ability to think independently and gives space to express their opinions. Through every sharing, coaches and players learn from each other's strengths and push individuals and the team to reach a higher level. Although in the early stages of the team's existence, some Taiwanese players still left because they had difficulty adapting to independent training or adapting to the team concept, up to this year, Taoyuan International has gradually gathered a group of suitable and team-consensual players with much better game performances.
Taoyuan International's two most important campaigns for 2020 are the "2020 Taiwan Magnolia Soccer League", the highest hall of fame for women's soccer in the country, which began in April of this year, and the Taiwan B Soccer League (T1) for the men's soccer team. This year, the women's soccer team attracted three Chinese international players, including captain Ding Qi, striker Chen Yanping and defender Pan Yanxin, plus Thailand's World Cup international player, foreign aid Pui Yee, to form a strong helping hand, and in the Magnolia League, Taoyuan International's women's soccer scoring discrepancy improved significantly, and the season's performance jumped up to the middle of the class, a significant increase compared to 2019.
