TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Facing only one loss in the Premier12 competition, Team Taiwan is in an enviable position of several scenarios for clinching a spot in the Super Round next week in Tokyo, Japan.
The simplest scenario is defeating Australia on Sunday (Nov. 17) at Taipei Dome, coupled with Japan's victory over Cuba that night at Tianmu Stadium. The combination of wins will enable Japan and Taiwan to emerge as the top two teams in Group B, per Liberty Times.
For South Korea to maintain hope of advancing to the Super Round, the opposite outcome will be required, with Australia and Cuba needing victories. South Korea will still need more victories and help on the final day of the group competition.
Team Taiwan has two games remaining: Australia at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 17) and Cuba at 6:30 p.m. on Monday (Nov. 18). If Taiwan wins the next two games, it will finish the first round of play with four wins and one loss. It would likely secure a second-place finish in its group, meaning the team will face Group A opponent Venezuela on Nov. 21.
Should Team Taiwan lose to Australia tonight, Taiwan, Australia, and South Korea will all have two wins and two losses. If Cuba defeats Japan tonight, Taiwan, Australia, South Korea, and Cuba will all have a similar record of two wins and two losses. The Dominican Republic is the only team eliminated from the tournament with one win and three losses.
A loss by Team Taiwan against Australia will make tomorrow's match against Cuba crucial. In addition to winning, Team Taiwan will need South Korea to defeat Australia to avoid falling behind Australia in wins and losses.
As for the South Korean team, which is on hiatus today, how they advance is with Team Taiwan losing both games to Australia and Cuba. If they beat Australia tomorrow, they can beat Team Taiwan with three wins and two losses.
Another situation is that Cuba wins the remaining two games, and South Korea wins again tomorrow. However, the possibility of Cuba winning against Japan and Taiwan in quick succession is low. For these reasons, South Korean news media believes there is little chance of their team advancing to the Super Round.
Four teams will qualify for the Super Round, consisting of the top two teams from Group A and Group B. Each team in this round will face competitors from the other division, with the top two finishers competing in the gold medal match and the bottom two teams battling for the bronze medal.