India, March 15 -- Defending champions China defeated Taiwan 2-0 in the Women's Asian Cup quarterfinals on Saturday to book a semifinal against host Australia and a place at the 2027 World Cup.

After 90 minutes ended goalless in a match involving countries with geopolitical tensions, Shao Ziqin finally broke the deadlock three minutes into extra time before a late own goal sealed a deserved win for the dominant Chinese team.

On Friday, Sam Kerr scored one goal and created another as Australia advanced and secured a World Cup spot with a 2-1 win over North Korea.

South Korea faced Uzbekistan later Saturday in another quarterfinal at Sydney. On Sunday, Japan heads into the final quarterfinal against the Philippines, also in Sydney, with ...