The girls of Uzbekistan have reached the quarterfinals: there is hope of reaching the World Cup...
The Asian Women's Cup in Australia is becoming increasingly intense. The most exciting news for fans is that the Uzbekistan national team has completed its group stage participation and secured a spot in the quarter-finals. Now, the biggest challenges, the biggest opportunities, and the biggest dream lie ahead - a ticket to the 2027 World Cup.
What was the situation in the group?
In Group "B," Uzbekistan played against North Korea, China, and Bangladesh. At the end of three matches, our representatives recorded 1 victory and 2 defeats, accumulating a total of 3 points.
The distribution of forces in the group was as follows:
- China - 1st place with 9 points
- DPRK - 2nd place with 6 points
- Uzbekistan - 3rd place with 3 points
- Bangladesh - finished the group losing all games
At first glance, 3rd place can be considered acceptable. However, the tournament regulations also turn "third place" into a chance.
Why did we also advance to the playoffs with 3rd place?
According to the regulations, the teams with the best performance among the third-placed teams will advance to the playoffs. In this ranking, the Uzbekistan national team took 2nd place with 3 points after Vietnam.
The Philippines also scored 3 points, but our representatives prevailed in goal difference and won the next stage. That is, the tournament once again proved that every goal, every minute, every episode has value here.
Who will we play against in the quarterfinals?
According to the playoff grid, the opponent of the Uzbekistan girls in the quarter-finals will be determined based on the results of other groups. So far, there are two options:
- On March 14 in Sydney against the winner of Group "A" - the Republic of Korea
or
- Against the winner of Group "C" in Sydney on March 15
Regardless of which, one thing is clear: there is no such thing as an "easy game" anymore.
Why is this quarterfinal so important?
Because the top 6 teams of the Asian Cup will receive direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup. So, winning in the quarter-finals means almost securing a World Cup spot.
If the Uzbekistan national team wins the quarter-finals, the issue of qualifying for the World Cup will be resolved.
Even if they lose, the opportunity will not be completely closed: the teams that lost in the quarter-finals will participate in the qualifying matches in the city of Gold Coast on March 19 and will continue to compete for the remaining spots. There, the losers will compete against each other in the quarterfinals.
Conclusion
The girls of Uzbekistan went through a difficult path in the group, but they did the most important thing - they made it to the playoffs. And now the real "big stage" is beginning: one victory - a step into the World Cup, another victory - history. There is only one thing left for followers: to hold firmly to faith and not to spare prayers.
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