Filipinas shoot for World Cup berth

The Philippines is only a win away from punching a ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

But standing in the Filipinas’ way is Japan as they clash in the quarterfinal of the AFC Asian Cup of Sunday at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

Kick-off starts at 1 p.m. (Manila time) as the Philippines aims for an upset against the highly-favored Nadeshiko and enter the semifinal for the second straight time.

It will be the second time ever that both squads crossed paths since the Filipinas’ humiliating 1-8 loss to the Nadeshiko in the Last 16 of the 19th Asian Games in China in 2023.

The Philippines barely made it back to the quarterfinal of the Asian Cup as its 1-0-2 win-draw-loss record in Group A was enough to be one of the two best third-place teams in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Japan cruised past Group C with three wins in as many matches with forwards Ueki Riko and Seike Kiko leading the charge in goalscoring with four goals apiece.

Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso said that despite being outmatched, they aren’t intimidated even if Japan is a two-time Asian Cup winner and 2011 World Cup champion.

“The girls have fought hard and played three big games, and in the next match, we have to focus on better transitions. But given it’s Japan, I know our chances will be limited, so we must take full advantage of whatever opportunities we get and be disciplined in our game,” Torcaso said.

“We look forward to this game, playing against the best players in the world, and probably one of the best teams in the world. The girls are excited.”

Head coach Nils Nilsen reminded his wards to not let their guard down against the Filipinas, who are capable of pulling off an upset at any moment.

“The Philippines are a very hard-working, disciplined and interesting side to watch, and it’s going to be a challenge for us. But I feel we have the tools to counter the challenges we face,” said Nilsen, the first foreign coach to call the shots for Nadeshiko.

“We are preparing for all kinds of scenarios so that we can adapt quickly to whatever happens during the game, especially if things don’t go our way.”

The Filipinas have two paths to the World Cup.

First is if they win over Japan and enter into the semis, equalling their best-ever Asian Cup finish back in 2022 in India.

Should the Philippines lose, it will undergo a play-in tournament against the loser between South Korea and Uzbekistan for one of the last two World Cup slots.

A loss in the play-in would pit the Filipinas against other countries in the inter-confederation playoffs.