After sensational World Cup win, Filipinas have chance to write more history for PHL football

What a sensational day for Philippine football.

The Philippines have secured their first-ever victory in the FIFA Women’s World Cup with a remarkable 1-0 result over hosts New Zealand in the Sky Stadium in downtown Wellington.

A Sarina Bolden goal in the 24th minute was the difference in a tightly contested match, which saw New Zealand dominate possession in big parts of the match.

The Philippines were looking to make amends after a disappointing opening day defeat to Switzerland, but the Filipinas were quickly on the back foot from the onset, as New Zealand started the game strongly and limiting the Filipinas to only 19 completed passes even after 20 minutes had gone in the game.

New Zealand kept up the pressure, but it would be the Philippines who would make the breakthrough, with Bolden first to the ball from a Sara Eggesvik cross from the right.

The predominantly Kiwi crowd would be silenced, with the boisterous Philippine contingent chanting ‘Isa Pa, Isa Pa!”

New Zealand, however, would regroup and were unlucky not to have leveled on two occasions in the second half, with a goal-bound ball hitting the post and having another controversially chalked off for offside.

New Zealand would end the game frustrated with the stout Philippine defense with Football Ferns defender Katie Bowen ruing, “It’s hard when they put so many bodies behind the ball.”

The Kiwi defender would then claim that the Philippines “wasted time one minute after getting the goal” but in truth the Philippines defended brilliantly and did what they had to do to get the historic result, even if Lady Luck shone brilliantly on our side tonight.

Player of the Match Olivia McDaniel once again put on an outstanding performance for the team, capped off by her superb reflex save at the 93rd minute.

Angie Beard was solid at the back yet again for the country, and despite playing in only her second game for the Philippines, felt right at home.

“For the last 15 months…..trying to get me into these colors. Now that I’m here, it feels like home, honestly. Being here with these girls, I can’t explain it, it feels like I’m 100% so welcome in this group. It’s beautiful.”

But it would be Sarina Bolden who will add to her legend and rightly grab the headlines.

The talisman and the emotional leader of the team, Sarina is full of emotion after scoring the only goal to lead the team to victory: “Just overwhelming happiness, gratitude, speechless. Put a lot of work into this, two years of hard work and sacrifice.”

“To be able to score, to get a win, I’m just so proud of everyone. It takes everyone, it takes a village.”

With considerably less possession and defending deep for most parts of the game, the manner of the victory of the Philippines may not be the most eye-catching or pleasing, but the Filipinas would not mind a single bit.

If we are to be brutally honest about the situation, the Philippines came to the tournament with a not-so-secret game plan, which was exactly that - to defend against stronger teams and try to get a goal from a counter-attack or set pieces.

It is true that the Philippines rode their luck on many occasions and that New Zealand will feel hard done by the defeat, but I daresay that we make our own luck and the victors after 90 minutes of play, in this case the Philippines, are usually deserving of the result.

DARE TO DREAM

Up next is the match against the top ranked team in the group Norway, which has endured a tough World Cup so far, with only a solitary point after two match days.

If we dare to dream of progression to the next round, the Filipinas have to go for a victory against the Norwegians, and it would take another monumental performance from the team to get this desired result.

But after what has been achieved these past 18 months, no one is putting a cap on what this group of players can achieve for the country.

Certainly not the traveling fans who have come from all over the world to give the team a boost in the venues.

Certainly not the millions of fans all over who have tuned in showed their support online.

And most certainly not the players themselves, who have the chance now to write more history for Philippine football and for the country.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News