An in-form China squad produced a masterful performance to blank the Philippines, 3-0, Monday night and clinch a Women’s World Cup berth, while putting the Malditas in a must-win match against Thailand in their final group game in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup in Jordan.
In a battle of opening-day winners, the Chinese scored twice early on while the Malditas struggled to find their feet at King Abdullah Stadium in Amman.
But with the Thais soundly beating Jordan, 6-1, early Tuesday, the Malditas have no recourse but to take maximum points against their Southeast Asian rivals to secure a World Cup berth and a semifinal spot in the tournament.
The Philippines-Thailand tiff is scheduled 8 p.m. on Thursday (1 a.m. Friday in Manila).
“It is probably fair to say that China was a better team than us, but there are some positives we can take from the game,” said Malditas’ French coach Rabah Benlarbi. “As much as we tried to react in the second half, we continued to press China until the very last minute.”
The Thais are in second spot in the group, just ahead of the Malditas on goal difference, while Jordan is already eliminated. The top 5 teams in the Asian Cup will qualify for the World Cup. —CEDELF P. TUPAS