MANILA – The Philippines suffered a 0-3 defeat at the hands of South Korea in their 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup encounter at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Australia, on Thursday.
With the win, South Korea maintained their perfect record in Group A, while the Filipinas recorded their second loss in a row.
“They’re a high-caliber team with top-tier players,” remarked Filipinas coach Mark Torcaso.
The national squad must now defeat Iran in their next fixture to keep hopes alive of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams in the group.
Torcaso emphasized, “We had to adapt quickly. Facing one of the strongest teams in the tournament is tough, but we must find a way to respond on the pitch.”
Jeon Yu-gyeong opened the scoring by breaking through the defense and volleying the ball past Olivia McDaniel into the bottom right corner, giving her first goal in international play during her third cap.
Korean coach Shin Sang-woo noted, “We adjusted our strategy to try and score early in the match,” as his side consolidated its lead at the top of the knockout stage.
Minutes later, Park assisted Choo, who controlled the ball on the edge of the area and curled it beautifully into the top corner for her first international goal.
A potential third goal from Jeon was disallowed for offside in the 20th minute, but South Korea struck again in the 56th when Kim Shin-ji’s corner found Mun Eun-ju, who converted from close range for her fifth goal for the national team.
For the Filipinas, Carleigh Frilles had a chance with a left-footed volley in the 45th minute, but Kim Min-jung denied it.
The team also missed the services of key player Jacklyn Sawicki, sidelined with a bruised knee sustained in training.
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