IN 2022, the Filipinas made history by reaching the semifinals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, an achievement that earned them a spot in the FIFA Women’s World Cup the following year.
To qualify for the sport’s biggest tournament is already an accomplishment in itself, but the Filipinas want more than that. They want to be competitive and prove that they belong among the world’s best.
They earned their reward, transforming into one of the most heartwarming tales of the Women's World Cup when they secured a victory in the group stage. This marked a historic moment for the Philippines in football, irrespective of gender, as it was their first triumph in the sport.
Filipinas prepare hard
Under the guidance of team manager Jefferson Cheng and Australian head coach Alen Stajcic, the Filipinas entered a packed schedule in 2023 to ready themselves for the FIFA Women's World Cup, which was jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the year.
They wanted to build the most competitive team possible to prepare against host New Zealand, Switzerland, and Norway, all world-rated entering the tournament.
The Philippines competed in the Pinatar Cup, the first round of the Olympic qualifiers, and the Southeast Asian Games, all with mixed results, but the team kept its focus on the World Cup.
The adage "If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best" appeared to be a guiding principle for the Filipinas, as the management arranged unofficial matches against Sweden and even the reigning World Cup champions, the United States. These matches were kept low-key, away from public scrutiny.
Come the World Cup, they showed that they were ready.
The Filipinas kicked off their World Cup journey in Dunedin, New Zealand, taking on the 20th-ranked Switzerland. Despite a 2-0 loss, the Filipinas remained competitive throughout the match, enduring some unfortunate twists of fate that resulted in Switzerland's goals.
But the Filipinas were just determined to win.
Filipinas stun New Zealand
Confronting a hometown crowd in their second group stage match in Wellington, the Filipinas faced New Zealand as the clear underdogs.
However, they crafted yet another historic moment for the country's sports by triumphing over the Football Ferns, 1-0, in front of 32,357 fans at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
Sarina Bolden was responsible for creating the historic moment for Philippine football, heading in the lone goal of the match in the 24th minute, a lead that the Filipinas later preserved courtesy of a clutch performance by goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.
The Filipinas would ultimately exit the competition following a decisive 6-0 defeat to Norway in Auckland, but the memories of their triumphant victory in Wellington will endure indefinitely, making them the hands-down choice as spin.ph's Team of the Year.
“The heart from the team is special,” said Stajcic, who eventually left the team to accept a head coaching job with the Perth Glory men’s team in Australia. “We had some luck but we also earned our luck. And for that, it’s a special moment in the history of the Philippines team sport.”
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