March 16 – The semi-final line-up at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup is now set after a quarter-final round that delivered ruthless scorelines at one end and tight contests at the other.
Japan breezed to yet another simple victory, brushing aside the Philippines 7-0 to continue what is rapidly becoming one of the tournament’s all-time most dominant runs. Japan scored five goals in a devastating 25-minute spell to close the match as the Philippines collapsed under sustained pressure.
Remarkably, Japan have still not conceded a goal in the competition – a defensive record that will face its sternest test yet in the semi-finals.
Waiting for them there are regional rivals South Korea, who were equally emphatic in their own quarter-final. South Korea dismantled the Uzbekistan 6–0 on Saturday to book their place in the last four.
Having already impressed in the group stages, only hosts Australia have taken points off of South Korea – achieved in a dramatic 3-3 draw to close out the group stages.
The other side of the quarter final draw proved far tighter.
China were pushed all the way by Chinese Taipei, with the tie remaining goalless after 90 minutes. China eventually found the breakthrough in extra time, scoring twice to secure progression without the need for penalties.
Tournament hosts Australia also had to work for their place in the semi-finals, edging past North Korea 2-1 in a closely fought encounter that never quite allowed either side to settle.
The result sets up a heavyweight semi-final between Australia and China, while Japan’s flawless defensive record will be put under the microscope against a South Korean side who have scored at least three goals in each of their Asian Cup games so far this tournament.
The last eight tie between Japan and the Philippines at Stadium Australia was the 400th match in the history of the tournament and took the total attendance up to a record 223,112.
“Reaching the milestone of the 400th match in the proud history of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, while simultaneously welcoming more than 200,000 passionate supporters to stadiums across Australia, is a powerful testament to the remarkable growth of women’s football across our Continent,” said Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John.
“This edition of the Confederation’s flagship women’s national team competition has redefined the women’s game and truly been a world-class spectacle.”
Semi final details:
Australia v China – March 17th – 6pm AWST – Perth National Stadium
Japan v South Korea – March 18th – 6pm AWST – Accor Stadium, Sydney
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected].
