Filipinas book return trip to Women's WC after beating Uzbekistan

March 20 ------ THE Filipinas are bound for Brazil next year with another landmark achievement for the squad. Angie Beard and Jaclyn Sawicki scored in the second half, and the Philippines booked a place in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 after a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan at the close of their AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 campaign.

By placing inside the top six, the Filipinas clinched a return trip to the Women's World Cup, a follow-up to their maiden run in 2023 that saw them beat host New Zealand during the competition. Beard and Sawicki were part of that historic run three years ago, and they will run it back next year in Brazil thanks to their efforts against Uzbekistan. Beard finally got a goal for the Philippines in the 47th after two chances in the first half, volleying a cross by Jael-Marie Guy to break the scoreless tie.

Sawicki doubled the lead in the 52nd, heading another perfect cross from Guy, essentially putting the match away, and proving once more that Filipinos belong on the world stage. The Filipinas substitutes ran towards their teammates on the field to celebrate after the final whistle was blown.

The upcoming appearance in Brazil is another milestone for head coach Mark Torcaso, who took the reins from Alen Stajcic to bring the Nationals back to the World Cup. The Australian coach also recently helped the Philippines win its first Southeast Asian Games women's football gold last December. The Filipinas earned their way to the World Cup after facing tough foes in the Asian Cup, losing to Australia, 1-0 then South Korea, 3-0, before finally capturing a win in the group stage with a 2-0 victory over Iran.

The Philippines, though, had to wait for that quarterfinals berth, booking the last seat for being the second-best third placer in the tournament with the help of Japan, which defeated Vietnam, 4-0. The Filipinas then lost to Japan, 7-0, in the quarterfinals, but Torcaso opted to rest most of its starters in preparation for the play-in game for the World Cup, which they eventually won. And with that, they will be hearing a lot of samba next year.

Source: spin.ph