Philippines Women’s National Team head coach Rabah Benlarbi admitted that the 3-0 loss against China PR served as a minor setback for the team that still remains in the hunt of a spot to the knockout stages and to the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.
The Philippines conceded three goals, but were still able to maintain their form against the 8-time Women’s Asian Cup winners.
“It is probably fair to say that China were a better team than us, but there are some positives we can take from the game,” said the French coach. “As much as we tried to react in the second half, we continued to press China until the very last minute.”
The loss leaves the Philippines in third place, with 3 points. Thailand, on the other hand, dispatched host Jordan, 6-1, to move to second place in Group A.
The Philippines will need to win against their Southeast Asian rivals to go through to the next round — and more importantly, qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“The game against Thailand is now a very important one for us,” closed Benlarbi. “We will try to recover over the next two days and be fully prepared for the match.”
Photo from Mia Montayre
