by Jonas Terrado
Game Friday (Amman, Jordan)
1 a.m. – Thailand vs Philippines
The Philippine Malditas were handed a humbling 3-0 loss to China late Tuesday in the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Amman, Jordan, putting in jeopardy their bid to earn a World Cup berth for the first time ever.
Li Ying scored twice while Ma Jun convered the other goal for the Chinese booters, who gave the Malditas a reality check after opening their campaign with a shock 2-1 victory over host China over the weekend.
With the loss, the Malditas now face a must-win late Thursday (early Friday Manila time) against Thailand for a spot in the 2019 World Cup in France.
Thailand kept its World Cup quest alive by thrashing Jordan, 6-1, after opening the tournament with a 4-0 loss to China.
China is already assured of making the World Cup with its second straight win to remain on top of Group A.
The Malditas, coached by Frenchman Rabah Benlarbi, will surely want to end up winning the crucial match with the Thais, though a third-place finish in Group A will keep them in a playoff against the third placer of Group B for the fifth and final World Cup berth.
But chances in that playoff are slim, with Group B composed of Japan, Australia, South Korea and Vietnam.