Pao Hsin-hsuan (Chinese: 包欣玄; pinyin: Bāo Xīnxuán; born 1 September 1992), known as Michelle Pao, is a Taiwanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Taiwan Mulan Football League club Taichung Blue Whale and the Chinese Taipei women's national team. Pao played collegiate soccer for Pepperdine University.[3]

Michelle Pao
Personal information
Full name Pao Hsin-hsuan[1]
Date of birth (1992-09-01) 1 September 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Hsinchu, Taiwan
Height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Taichung Blue Whale
Number 5
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Pepperdine Waves
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015 Vittsjö GIK 19 (3)
2016–2017 Nojima Stella Kanagawa 33 (12)
2018–2021 Taichung Blue Whale 25 (26)
International career
2015– Chinese Taipei 26 (17)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 1, 2015
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 December 2023 [2]

Youth career

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Michelle Pao played for Pepperdine during her college years between 2010 and 2014; and is the first player of the university to earn four-time All-WCC first team honors; and was also four-time NSCAA All-West Region pick.[3]

Professional career

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Michell Pao guarding the post for Vittsjö GIK

Vittsjö GIK

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Pao was the 24th selection in 2014 NWSL College Draft by Sky Blue FC. However, Michelle Pao did not join Sky Blue and instead went to play for Vittsjö GIK in Sweden.[4]

Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara

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In February 2016, Japan Women's Football League Division 2 club Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara announced that the club had signed Pao.[5] Pao finished the 2016 season as the top scorer with 11 goals in the 2016 L. League Division 2.[6] Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara finished first in the Division 2 and thus promoted first in history to the Division 1.[7]

On 8 December 2017, Pao announced her retirement from professional soccer career at the end of the 2017 season.[8]

Taiwan women's league

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Since 2018 season, she joined Taichung Blue Whale, a semi-professional club playing in Taiwan Mulan Football League.[9] Due to cancellation of matches starting in May 2021 just after her 29th birthday in September she said would be leaving Taichung Blue Whale to return to California.

International

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Michelle Pao played for Chinese Taipei women's national football team in 2016 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament and scored a goal in the second round against Jordan women's national football team.[10]

International goals

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No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 16 September 2015 Mandalarthiri Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar   Jordan 2–0 3–0 2016 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
2. 8 November 2016 Hong Kong Football Club Stadium, Hong Kong   Hong Kong 3–0 5–0 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
3. 11 November 2016   Guam 3–1 8–1
4. 5 April 2017 Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium, Al-Ram, Palestine   Palestine 1–0 5–0 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
5. 3–0
6. 19 August 2018 Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium, Palembang, Indonesia   Indonesia 4–0 4–0 2018 Asian Games
7. 21 August 2018 Bumi Sriwijaya Stadium, Palembang, Indonesia   Maldives 5–0 7–0
8. 6 November 2018 Hisor Stadium, Hisor, Tajikistan   Tajikistan 1–0 9–0 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
9. 2–0
10. 8 November 2018   Mongolia 1–0 9–0
11. 11 November 2018   Singapore 2–0 10–0
12. 5–0
13. 6–0
14. 6 April 2019 Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Philippines 1–2 4–2
15. 9 April 2019   Iran 1–0 4–0
16. 4–0
17. 23 February 2023 North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand   Papua New Guinea 2–0 5–0 Friendly

Honors

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Individual

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Club

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Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara

Personal

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Michelle is the daughter of Yao-kuo Pao and Liven Lin and has two siblings, Wayne and Jessie; and attended Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California. She graduated from Pepperdine University majoring in sports medicine.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "PAO HSIN-HSUAN". AFC. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Michelle Pao". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "26 MICHELLE PAO". pepperdinesports.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  4. ^ "Michelle Pao". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Sign Vittsjö GIK Michelle Pao". Nojima Stella kanagawa Sagamihara Official Web Site. 1 February 2016. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  6. ^ "Nadeshiko League Awards Ceremony". Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara Official Website. 26 October 2016. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  7. ^ "Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara Win 2016 Nadeshiko League Division 2". Japan Women's Football League Official Web Site. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  8. ^ "Michelle Pao announces retirement". Nojima Stella kanagawa Sagamihara Official Web Site. 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  9. ^ "台中藍鯨延攬包欣玄 拚連霸木蘭足球聯賽" (in Chinese). Central News Agency. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  10. ^ "WOMEN'S OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT 2016 — QUALIFICATION ROUND 2". the-afc.com. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
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