Filipinas Making Herstory

Women’s Philippine Football is here to stay

When you think of sports in the Philippines, your mind probably goes to basketball, volleyball, or maybe even boxing. Rarely does the word “football” (or soccer, for the heathens) come up. Sure, we had that brief stint in the 2010s when everybody loved the Azkals… otherwise, football has gathered cobwebs in the back of Philippine athletics’ proverbial supply closet.

Being a football fan in the Philippines is an ongoing struggle: professional leagues are inaccessible to the average consumer, pitches for recreational play are few and far between. And if you* want to watch any of the European leagues? Good luck finding a way to watch that doesn’t require you to pay for a subscription or a cable package.

(*It’s me. “you” is me.)

That all changed when the Filipinas qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Led by head coach Alen Stajcic, the Philippine women’s team beat the odds—and a whole host of top-rated Asian sides— to clinch the country’s very first AFF Women’s Championship in 2022. Not only was this a crucial breakthrough for a sporting side whose previous best result was a fourth place finish in 2019; more importantly, winning the AFF meant that the Philippines had qualified for the World Cup for the very first time in its history.

Following their watershed victory, the Filipinas signed Adidas as their official kit sponsor, marking the first time I can remember a football jersey has been so well-advertised in the Philippines since, like, ever. There were pre-orders, there were email sign-ups, there was an official kit reveal, there was an actual section on the Adidas website dedicated to the kit. Proper football things!

Drawn into Group A, which featured Norway, Switzerland, and co-hosts New Zealand, the Filipinas definitely had their work cut out for them. Early forecasts of the tournament basically wrote them off as the pushover of their group. As far as most international football fans were concerned, the Philippines were very much an unknown entity. And they used it to their advantage.

With an organised defensive structure and aggressive counterattacking, the Filipinas put up a valiant fight in their first match against Switzerland—despite what the 2-0 scoreline may belie. They created chances; and if it weren’t for a questionable VAR call that gifted Switzerland the penalty for their first goal, they probably could’ve gotten more out of the match.

They carried this optimism into Matchday 2, which was when the lights really turned on. Of the other Group A members, New Zealand was probably the team with whom the Filipinas could at least aspire to draw. Armed with their tactics, hard work, and most importantly, their signature puso: the Filipinas announced themselves on the world footballing stage.

In a Player of the Match performance, Olivia McDaniel pulled out one of the saves of the tournament: a left-handed shot-stopper that not only secured the Philippines a 1-0 victory, but also equalled Thibault Courtois’ 2022 Champions League final performance in terms of historical significance.

watch here: FOX Soccer [@FOXSoccer] ***ICYMI: Olivia McDaniel's massive save secured a historic win for the Philippines***

I heard an analyst from Fox Sports call for McDaniel’s left hand to be plated in gold, and I concur.

Sarina Bolden may have also just become a future Jeopardy answer after scoring the winning header off a setpiece in the 24th minute.

“This woman scored the first ever goal for

the Philippines at any World Cup ever.”

watch here: COPA90 [@Copa90] Commentary that will live forever from @paodelrosario

*source:* HAGEN HOPKINS - FIFA/FIFA VIA GETTY IMAGES

Alex, who is Sarina Bolden?

As the high of the momentous World Cup run wears off; hopefully, this fortnight of glorious potential bears the promise of a bright future for football in the Philippines; hopefully, the passion with which the Philippines approached the Filipinas’ World Cup campaign doesn’t fade now that the competition is over. Because there is still a lot of football to be had.

The Filipinas are set to compete in the Asian Games this coming September 2023 in Zhejiang, followed by the all-important 2024 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Perth. All of this, they will do without their fearless leader Stajcic who, along with assistant coach Nahuel Arrarte, announced their departures from the Philippine team. A replacement has not been announced.

Filipinos are making their mark on the footballing world, if we only looked close enough. And though the future of football in the Philippines may still look a little uncertain, it’s definitely looking up.

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