Granger’s hat-trick steers PHL to a dominant win over Uzbekistan

The young, talented Filipina booters kicked off their AFC U17 Women’s Asia Cup 2027 Qualifiers in style, beating Uzbekistan 4-0 on Oct. 5, 2026, at the Do’stlik Stadium Training Pitch in Tashkent.

Noelle Granger led the Filipinas’ offensive masterclass, firing a hat-trick within the first 20 minutes of the second half.

The University of Florida commit single-handedly outscored the Uzbeks, breaking the deadlock with the first goal of the game in the 51st minute, followed by a brace in a blistering 14-minute window.

Before the second-half turnaround, the first 45 minutes of action were a highly competitive nip-and-tuck affair, with Uzbekistan even threatening to draw first blood early in the game.

Saving the PHL from a first-half disaster was goalkeeper Abigail Schwartz, swatting away Uzbekistan’s 30-yard free-kick attempt just three minutes into the game.

Uzbekistan continued to apply pressure, moving forward with its crisp attacks, but the Filipinas were able to pick up their tempo at the 30th-minute mark.

The PHL countered Uzbekistan’s pressure with its own, generating its point of attack by firing long through balls down the right side of the pitch.

As the first half ended in a deadlock, Granger answered the call for the PHL and began picking Uzbekistan apart with her impressive hat-trick.

After the header in the 51st minute, Granger followed it up with a cleanup off Sachiko Davis’ cross in the 63rd minute and another conversion two minutes later.

Putting the finishing touches on the win for the PHL was Savannah Chheng, who scored the final goal off a sweet pass from Granger.

The Filipinas will look to remain undefeated on Oct. 11, 2026, as they face Bangladesh in their second game in Group H.