Michelle Pao

In this Chinese name, the family name is Pao.

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 as of October 1, 2015 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17 December 2023 [2]

Youth career

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

Michell Pao guarding the post for Vittsjö GIK

Vittsjö GIK

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

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

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

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

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

Individual

• 2016 L. League Division 2 : Top scorers

Club

Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara

• 2016 L. League Division 2 : Champion

Personal

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]