BY: Gil Moriones
MANILA --- It has been 190 days since their last encounter in Sydney, and the Philippine Women's National Football Team will brace for another Japan experience as they progressed to the quarterfinals of the ongoing 2026 Asian Games Women's Football competition after finishing Group G as one of the best third-place teams, despite a 5-1 loss to China PR on Monday afternoon at Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium.
This marks the Filipinas' second knockout stage progression since their first in 2022 in Hangzhou, but history will repeat as they once again face the same team that eliminated them from medal contention with an 8-1 result.
Wang Yanwen scored a hat trick in this non-bearing final group stage match: first in the 20th minute with a header from a free kick, then in the 39th minute after Hali Long slipped while attempting to clear, and finally in the 53rd minute with a bouncing header.
Chen Qiaozhu added an early second-half goal for the three-time Asian Games gold medalists, extending their lead to 4-0 after a defensive scramble in the Filipinas’ box in the 48th minute.
Mallie Ramirez nearly scored for the Filipinas in the 55th minute with a header from Katrina Guillou’s high looping cross, but Xiao Zitong made a quick recovery to tap the ball away from the goalmouth.
However, Zitong’s clean sheet was broken in the 65th minute when Skye Leach scored from a corner kick, hopping to meet the ball, which bounced off her torso and rolled freely into the Chinese defense’s goalmouth.
Yuan Cong sealed the Steel Roses’ 5-1 victory with a goal in the 90+2 minute.
In other Group G action, Uzbekistan defeated Hong Kong, 2-1, securing second place with three points and two draws—against China and the Philippines.
The 2022 Asiad semifinalists will now face the three-time bronze medalists, South Korea’s Taeguk Ladies.
Vietnam also advanced after forcing a stalemate against Thailand and will battle China PR in the Last 8.
Finally, Chinese Taipei will face 2022 Asiad runner-up North Korea. Like the Filipinas and Japan, they too will meet again just six months after their last encounter at the Women’s Asian Cup last March for the last direct ticket to the Women's World Cup.
