Despite losing 0-7, Philippines coach remains confident about World Cup qualification.

Coach Mark Torcaso did not blame his players after the 0-7 loss to Japan's women's team. He believes Philippines' World Cup opportunity is still open.

On March 15th, the Philippines women's team could not create a surprise, losing 0-7 to Japan in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. Speaking after the match, Coach Mark Torcaso admitted that Philippines faced a huge challenge against a world-class opponent:

“Clearly we did not want to lose, but we faced one of the strongest teams in the world. The team played well and held Japan for most of the first half, but against such teams, a moment of lapse is enough for them to capitalize. That is a lesson for us,”Coach Torcaso shared.

The Australian coach also praised the fighting spirit of his players, affirming that the team will continue striving to narrow the gap with the continent's strongest teams.

“I cannot fault the players for their discipline and dedication. They fought hard, and we want to continue closing the gap with the world's strongest teams.”

Coach Torcaso also said the recent match provided positive signs as some new players performed well. “We gave starting opportunities to two outstanding players, goalkeeper Meollo and Jourdyn Curran, both played very well. Additionally, we had three young players who performed excellently,”he said.

Despite the disappointing result, Coach Torcaso emphasized the team will quickly focus on the next match, as the World Cup qualification opportunity remains wide open.

On the journey to secure a World Cup spot for the second consecutive time, the Philippines women's team will face Uzbekistan women's team in the playoff match taking place on March 19th.