THE Philippines’ huge victory over Thailand in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup came amidst a COVID-19 outbreak within the team hours before kickoff on Friday night.
Pinay booters' COVID outbreak
Head coach Alen Stajcic revealed the team’s situation during the postmatch press conference, with striker Sarina Bolden, who starred in the country’s campaign in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, missing the match due to the outbreak.
“Most importantly, we get the three points considering the difficulties we had in the last 24 hours,” said Stajcic. “We had a small COVID outbreak in the squad yesterday. Players have been in isolation for the last 30 hours.”
“For us to put that kind of performance under such extreme sort difficulty, it just shows how far the team has come. It shows the good quality of this team and they are rewarded,” added Stajcic, whose team entered the competition with three-months of preparation in California.
As for Bolden’s status, Stajcic said: “The situation is still in doubt with our team.”
Chandler McDaniel scored the lone goal of the match in the 81st minute that enable the Philippines to end a 12-match losing streak against Thailand, campaigners in the 2019 World Cup.
Stajcic said the victory is a morale booster for the team as they look to qualify in the knockout stage for a shot at the five spots for Asia in the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
Even after the win, Stajcic noted the importance of staying focused as Filipina booters face mighty Australia on Monday. The Matildas were 18-0 winners against Indonesia on Friday.
“But ultimately, it’s just one game. We will enjoy the victory. It’s a special victory for the country and a little bit of history is really special. I know it’s a big weight off their shoulders for the players who have been here for a long time. It’s fantastic. But ultimately, we have a big game against Australia,” said Stajcic.
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