By: Nicole Parallag
The Filipinas moved closer to securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games after beating Hong Kong, 2-0, in the group stage on Thursday at Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium.
Skye Leach broke the deadlock in the 12th minute, pouncing on the rebound after Dionesa Tolentin’s header deflected off Hong Kong defender Pak Tung Tsang. The ball fell perfectly to Leach, who made no mistake with the go-ahead goal to put the Filipinas in front.
Mallie Ramirez doubled the Philippines’ advantage in the 63rd minute, finishing a perfectly timed cross from Megan Murray to give the Filipinas a comfortable cushion.
The victory gave the Philippines four points in Group G, level with China and within reach of a quarterfinal berth. The Filipinas remain in second place, however, with a +2 goal difference compared to China’s +4.
The Philippines will face China on September 21 at 3 p.m. Manila time at Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium in Gifu. The match will be played simultaneously with Hong Kong’s clash against Uzbekistan at Wave Stadium in Kariya.
The top two teams in each group, along with the two best third-place finishers, will advance to the knockout stage.
