THE FILIPINAS stayed alive in its bid to come back in the FIFA Women’s World Cup with the help of Japan on Tuesday.
Japan routed Vietnam, 4-0, in their Group C match in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup at the Perth Rectangular Stadium, sending the Philippines into the quarterfinals of the tournament that also serves as a qualifier for the World Cup.
READ: Filipinas' World Cup chances dim after Uzbekistan's Asian Cup win
Vietnam needed a victory or to lose by three goals or less to Japan to oust their regional rival Philippines, the same squad they lost the gold to in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games women’s football tournament in Chonburi, Thailand.
Instead, it is the Philippines which will advance, keeping its bid to claim one of the six berths in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil alive.
The Philippines joined Uzbekistan to gain the last two berths in the Asian Cup quarterfinals after being the best third placers in the group stage, each with a -2 goal difference, with Vietnam eliminated from contention with a goal difference of -4.
Ironically, it will be Japan, which topped Group C, that the Philippines will face in the quarterfinals set on March 15 at the Stadium Australia in Sydney.
The losers in the quarterfinals will have one more shot at the outright berth for Asia/Oceania in the World Cup through a ‘play-in’ match.
The Filipinas began the Asian Cup with losses to Australia, 1-0, and South Korea, 3-0, but kept their hopes alive after a 2-0 win over Iran to close the group stage.
Chances were tethering for the Filipinas on Monday when Uzbekistan beat Bangladesh, 4-0, with Japan needing to win by three goals or more over Vietnam to progress.
It was a quiet first half for Japan with the lone goal of the match coming from Riko Ueki in the 21st, but it poured it on in the second with goals from Maikia Hamano in the 51st, Aoba Fujino in the 64th, and Kiko Seike in the 67th.
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