THE SCORELINE SAYS IT ALL
The 6-0 whopping was without a doubt, a baptism by fire as the Philippines came into a realization that it has a long way to go before they could finally compete against the best of the world.
There was no denying that Norway was physically and technically superior to us and the stats would further support that.
As stated by Whoscored.com, Norway dominated with a 72% possession and an 84% pass success rate. The 31 shot attempts from the Norwegian squad literally dwarfed our four shots.
Upfront, Norway's Sophie Haug singlehandedly won seven aerial duels, while our two centrebacks Jessika Cowart and Hali Long each had two.
And when looking at the expected goals (xG) ratio, Norway completely went above the expectations.
Fbref.com noted that Norway had a 3.9 xG, meaning they should have scored at most four goals, but the final scoreline revealed that they went beyond that.
The first goal could've been avoided given the tight angle, which the xG numbers would argue that the ball should have a low chance of going in.
Overall there is so much that needs to be done and with Coach Alen Stajcic gone, a lot needs to be addressed especially if we wish to continue our World Cup dream.
How can we score goals?
Looking back at the group stages it was evident that the Philippines struggled to generate goal scoring opportunities and the xG numbers would reveal a glaring trend.
0.1 was our xG against the two European sides Switzerland and Norway, and while we did score against New Zealand, the 0.4 xG indicates that the our attempts were not convincing.
As to why we struggled to create goal scoring attempts? There are numerous factors that led to our demise. The Philippines doesn't have the most technically gifted players, making our players an easy target for the high press, leading us to launch long balls, which also isn't the best option as the opposition's towering defenders would thwart these attempts.
Sarina Bolden is actually the most lethal aerial presence in the Philippines' ranks, but teams are already aware of that, hence their decision to swarm her when the ball is about to approach her.
So far the only method for us to score goals stem from set pieces and this is what Stajcic utilized against New Zealand. With a high press, featuring Jessika Cowart as a ball winning midfielder, and the Filipinas managed to keep the pressure upfront, forcing the Ferns to disrupt our attacks through fouling.
More set pieces near the attacking third meant more opportunities for the ball to reach the penalty area, which ultimately led to Bolden's historical moment.
While this has proven to be the most practical method for us to generate opportunities, it made us look predictable.
In addition, playing for set pieces also has its drawbacks especially against a towering Norwegian squad that won their defensive aerial duels, 13 compared to the Philippines' 12, but please don't be deceived by the numbers as the Philippines was playing defensively all throughout the match.
This proves that Stajcic's ingenuity could only reach so far and the final game against Norway ultimately sealed our fate. It didn't matter if Stajcic tinkered the Xs-and-Os with a trio of Katrina Guillou, Sarina Bolden, and Isabella Flanigan that introduced a new dynamic given their defensive workhorse behavior, as Norway calmly punctured their ranks.
Where can the Philippines gain inspiration?
Given what transpired against Norway, should the Philippines hope for a miracle that a godsent player like Erling Haaland or Brazil's Marta would suddenly appear from the ranks?
While we can wait for a next generation talent to knock on our doorsteps, the odds of this happening is based on pure luck and we can't always rely on a once in a generation talent reaching our shores.
Plus Japan proved in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar that world class players isn't the solution to build a well-oiled machine.
How on earth did Japan prevail against Germany blessed with star-studded talents which included Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Antonio Rudiger, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller, and Ilkay Gundogan? The Samurai Blue didn't boast the same level of physicality that their rivals imposed on them, but they made it up with a near perfectionist level of technical football.
But this isn't limited to the men's team as this is also displayed by their Women's football team as their 4-0 drubbing of Spain saw the Nadeshiko prevail in convincing fashion despite having 24% of the ball.
Fingers also need to be pointed at Manager Futoshi Ikeda's defensive masterpiece as his usage of a rigged 5-4-1 formation limited Spain's ability to progress the ball on the half-spaces and wide areas, which in turn nerfed their ability to cross the ball.
Then when it came on the counterattack, Japan's ability to instantly find pockets of space allowed them to threaten La Roja. What's even impressive is how their players could squeeze the ball en route to a goal scoring threat despite a clogged defensive scheme.
And even whey they lose the ball, the Nadeshiko never seemed fazed or rattled as they went back to business on the defensive end.
Plus there were other important moments that made Japan standout, like their ability to perfectly time their forward runs and passes or how they managed to calmly pass the ball in tight spaces amid the high press.
Ideally, their gameplan is something that the Philippines should aspire to be as Japan may look as if they aren't blessed with the physical stature of their European counterparts yet they managed to hold their ground.
Heck it's even surprising that their number 9, Riko Ueki, who seemed to be dwarfed by Spain's defenders, was able to drop deep and effectively hold up the ball.
Given what I mentioned earlier, can we follow the blueprint laid by our Asian rivals? This will be easier said than done, as it requires a lot of effort in improving both the micro and the macro-side of football, but who said things will be easy afterwards?
Will our grassroots programs step up big after this run? Will the PFF and other governing bodies be able to follow up on our success?
Indeed the journey ahead is a long and ardous path and with Alen Stajcic gone, a lot needs to be considered. There is no doubt that the Filipinas' run is a historical one, something that gave a sparkle of hope to a country that has been dying for football glory.
Making it to the World Cup is a start, but the flames of desire should live on, otherwise the efforts of our historic run will all be left to dust.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
