Stallion Laguna FC advances to AFC Women’s Champions League Group Stage as best runner-up – BusinessWorld Online
STALLION Laguna FC caught the last bus to the AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) Group Stage after finishing as the best runner-up in the Preliminary Stage.
The Philippine club actually had a chance to gain outright entry to the main competition but fell short as it bowed to host ISPE WFC of Myanmar in their battle for Group A No. 1 on Sunday in Yangon, 1-3.
But in the end, Stallion still progressed as it bested four other group runners-up in the tiebreaker for the last available seat to the tournament proper.
The Laguna-based squad’s superior goal difference (GD) of +3 worked to its favor in the final tabulation against three fellow three-point holders, Group B’s BGC-College of Asian Scholars of Thailand (+1 GD), Group C’s Etihad of Jordan (0 GD) and Group D’s Kaoshiung Attackers of Chinese-Taipei (-3) as well as Group E’s Kitchee of Hong Kong (two points and 0 GD).
The reigning PFF Women’s Cup titlists joined ISPE and the other group winners — Uzbekistan’s PFC Nasaf, Singapore’s Lion City Sailors, North Korea’s Naegohyang and India’s East Bengal — in advancing to the AWCL blasting off Nov. 9.
Lying in wait are the powerhouses, seeded clubs Wuhan Jiangda (China), Melbourne City (Australia), Suwon (South Korea), Tokyo Verdy Beleza (Japan), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and Bam Khatoon (Iran).
Stallion Laguna will know its next opponents in the scheduled draw on Sept. 11. — Olmin Leyba
