From friend to foe: Filipinas face Japanese
The team that helped keep the Filipinas’ hopes for another trip to the Fifa Women’s World Cup alive will be the same team favored to stop them from fulfilling that bid on their first try.
Powerhouse Japan takes on the Philippine women’s football team in the quarterfinals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday after playing a key role in eliminating Vietnam from contention at the close of the group stage.
Japan’s 4-0 rout on Tuesday in Perth, Australia, ended Vietnam’s quest for a second straight World Cup appearance while handing the two best third-place slots to the Filipinas and Uzbekistan.
Both the Philippines and Uzbekistan finished with identical goal differences of minus-2, while Vietnam was knocked out with minus-4.
Coach Mark Torcaso’s side beat Iran, 2-0, on Sunday to escape the group stage despite that result being its only win in Group A. Now the Filipinas have two chances to secure a place in the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
A stunning upset—frankly, a small chance given Japan’s stature—would send the Philippines directly to the tournament. But a loss would relegate the Filipinas to a play-in match for a World Cup berth.
Their opponent in that play-in would be either South Korea or Uzbekistan. The Filipinas last faced the Uzbeks in a friendly that ended in a 2-2 draw late in 2025 at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The play-in winner will claim a World Cup spot.
