What is the chance for the Vietnamese women's team to advance after Philippines defeated Iran?

Philippines' 2-0 win against Iran in the last match of Group A has heightened the race for quarter-final berths among the third-ranked teams. Yet, in the present context, the Vietnamese women's team's chances of progressing are still viewed as quite bright.

Philippines keeps hope alive, but the Vietnamese women's team need not worry excessively

Before the final round of Group A, the two direct tickets to the quarter-finals were already secured. The Korean women's team demonstrated impressive form by successively defeating Iran and Philippines with a 3-0 score to rise to the top of the group. Host Australia also earned 6 points after two matches and secured a spot in the knockout stage. Therefore, the encounter between Philippines and Iran only served to determine the third-placed team, thereby fostering hope to compete for one of the two quarter-final rescue tickets.

Entering the match with a mandatory win objective, Philippines proactively played attacking football from the start. The Southeast Asian team proved superior in both game control and opportunities. In the first half, Philippines controlled over 60% of possession and launched up to 12 shots, four times more than Iran. This dominance was soon materialized by Sara Eggesvik's opening goal after a clever finish.

In the second half, Iran pushed forward their formation to seek an equalizer but did not generate significant pressure. Conversely, Philippines maintained proactive game control and continuously created dangerous situations. By the 82nd minute, Chandler McDaniel sealed the 2-0 victory, helping the Philippines women's team secure their first full 3 points in the tournament. In the simultaneous match, host Australia drew with Korea with 6 goals evenly shared between the two teams.

This result allowed Philippines to conclude the group stage in third place in Group A. Coach Mark Torcaso's team has 3 points with a -2 goal difference and temporarily ranks second among the best-performing third-placed teams. However, they still must await results from other groups to know whether they can participate in the quarter-finals.

In this race, the Vietnamese women's team holds a significant advantage. After two matches in Group C, Coach Mai Duc Chung's squad has 3 points and a goal difference of 0 – better than Philippines. This gives the Vietnamese women's team a temporary edge in the competition for the third-placed team qualification.

In the final match on March 10, the Vietnamese women's team will face a very strong opponent, Japan – the leader of Group C. If they secure at least a draw, the Vietnamese women's team will definitely earn a quarter-final ticket. Even in case of defeat, the red-shirted team's advancement chance remains if they do not lose by a large margin.

In Group B, the competition for the third position belongs to Uzbekistan and Bangladesh, but both teams face major disadvantages. After two matches, Uzbekistan has no points and a -6 goal difference, while Bangladesh also has zero points with a -7 goal difference. With such a large gap, their likelihood of rising in the performance comparison with third-placed teams from other groups is quite low.

Overall, Philippines' victory over Iran made the race more exciting, but did not significantly reduce the Vietnamese women's team's chances. If they perform well against Japan and minimize the score gap, Coach Mai Duc Chung's team still has considerable potential to join the top 8 teams of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.

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