Malditas settle for 2nd

THE PHILIPPINE Malditas failed to achieve their target, but showed marked improvement in their AFC Asian Cup Qualifying campaign by  finishing second behind Thailand Saturday at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The Malditas capped their campaign with a 4-0 dumping of Bangladesh, but it wasn’t enough to give them the lone Asian Cup spot at stake in their group.

The Thais, who defeated the Filipinos, 1-0, Thursday night, booked their ticket to next year’s tournament after pulling away in the second half for a 5-1 win over Iran.

Still, it was a stellar tournament for coach Ernie Nierras’ side, which posted two wins after fielding its strongest group of players in a tournament.

Led by Marisa Park, who scored a brace, the Malditas overwhelmed the home side with Cristina delos Reyes and Cat Barnekow  also getting in the scoresheet.

The Malditas were given a glimmer of hope when Iran held Thailand scoreless in the first half, before the Thais put in five goals in the next 45 minutes. Cedelf P. Tupas