THE Philippines' bid for a podium finish in women's football at the 19th Asian Games hit a major obstacle after suffering a 5-1 loss to South Korea on Monday night at the Wenzhou Sports Center.
Sarina Bolden gave the Filipinas a promising start, but their fellow Fifa Women’s World Cup campaigner responded in a big way with Son Hwayeon scoring a hat-trick to spark the blowout defeat.
South Korea stayed in first place in Group E in sight with its second win, closing the group stage against cellar dweller Hong Kong for a direct passage to the quarterfinals.
The loss put the Philippines on a collision course with Southeast Asian rival Myanmar in a possible battle for a quarterfinal seat. Aside from the top teams among the five groups, the three best second-placers advance to the quarterfinals.
Both teams have three points in Group E.
The final match of the group stage is not expected to be a breeze as the Filipinas already lost to Myanmar in their last match-up during the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.
In their first face-off since their semifinal duel won by Korea, 2-0, in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Bolden scored in the eighth but that lead proved short-lived, as Korea recovered four minutes later with an equalized by Chun Garam.
Korea collected another goal three minutes before halftime with a strike by Son off a corner kick.
The Koreans broke the game wide open in the 52nd when Ji Soyun scored on a penalty kick after Eva Madarang was called for a foul inside the penalty box for bringing down Chun.
Son added two more goals to her name in the 56th and 70th in the blowout win.
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