Korea Rep gives Filipinas reality check in 1-5 defeat in Asiad

by Drew Malihan

WENZHOU, China - The Philippine Women's National Football Team suffers a huge defeat against world number 20 Korea Republic in a 1-5 beating inside the Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium in their second group stage campaign of the 2022 Asian Games women's football tournament, Monday.

Sarina Bolden registered her 24th goal for the Filipinas as she slotted one against South Korean keeper Kim Jung-mi off from a pass from Meryll Serrano in the eighth minute.

But that was the first and only goal for the Filipinas in the entire game as Chun Ga-ram quickly equalized the deficit in the 12th minute off from a corner set piece.

Forward Son Hwa-yeon scored in the 44th minute to bring Korea the lead before half-time, 2-1, before skipper Ji So-yun slotted a penalty in the 52nd minute that sent Olivia McDaniel on the other side of the goal.

Son scored two more in the 56th and 70th minute to grab her hat-trick and gave the Koreans a comfortable four-goal lead to cruise the last 20 minutes of the match.

The Koreans will saw themselves qualified to the knockout rounds with the victory, with the Filipinas remaining in second with 3 points, ahead only on third place Myanmar by superior goals scored.

Myanmar meanwhile eliminated Hong Kong earlier by only a solitary goal, setting themselves in a win-or-go-home game against the Filipinas on September 28.

The Filipinas must have a convincing win against their Southeast Asian rivals, and await on the results of the games of Japan and Vietnam, China and Uzbekistan, and Thailand and Chinese Taipei, as only three of the four second placers will qualify to the next stage of the competition.

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