Taiwan team wins Phuket Soccer Cup

KO KAEW: The Kaohsiung 100 Pacers set a pace that proved too hot for the Lions Singapore in the finals of the 1999 Phuket International Football Cup at Dulwich International College last weekend. The Lions had no chance to respond to the Pacers’ 1-0 lead by half-time. And when the Pacers slammed home another in the last few minutes of the second half, the Singapore team’s fate was sealed. The tropical depression that buffeted Phuket over the weekend caused flooding on the playing field that was so bad the players seemed to be playing water polo rather than soccer. Organisers were forced to move the semi-finals and finals indoors, cutting the teams to seven-a-side. The Pacers only just made it into the finals, after drawing 0-0 in the semis with International Phnom Penh. Penalty kicks saw them through to meet the Lions, who had beaten last year’s winners, the Phuket All Stars, 2-0. The All Stars placed third, beating Phnom Penh 3-2 in the losers’ play-off. Despite a recent win in the Bangkok Farang League Championship, last year’s runners-up, French Technip FC, failed to live up to expectations, crashing to a 3-5 defeat against Olympique Saigon in the Plate competition. The tournament attracted 10 expatriate teams from around the region.