PH women’s football team makes history vs Thailand — but road to World Cup continues

The Philippine national women’s football team have a dream of going to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history. But if they want to accomplish that, they will need to do certain things that they’ve never been able to in the past.

One of those things is to beat a Thailand team they haven't beaten in 12 tries.

On a hot and humid afternoon in Mumbai, India, the Filipina booters did exactly that as they eked out a 1-0 victory over Southeast Asian nemesis Thailand in their opening match of the 2022 AFC Asian Cup.

The Philippines may be ranked 29 places below our neighbors, but it was the Filipinas who started out the brighter among the two teams as the Philippines looked threatening in the early stages, with a goal ruled offside.

Coach Alen Stajcic had two months to prepare the team for the tournament, and the Filipinas showed excellent defensive organization and were resolute defensively against a Thailand team that seemed to be missing a cutting edge.

US-based Olivia McDaniel was preferred in goal, and she immediately showed her quality with her assured and commanding presence and overall awareness in the game.

Birthday celebrant Hali Long will be disappointed at not opening the scoring off of a free kick in the first half, but she and Dominique Randle were solid at the back all game long.

Together with Ryley Bugay and Sofia Harrison, the back four were composed on defense, especially when Thailand took the impetus in the second half.

Captain Tahnai Annis controlled the midfield and imposed herself with her physical presence in the middle of the park.

Katrina Guillou was unlucky to have a goal chalked off for offside and she almost scored a spectacular long-range goal that hit the bar. But her overall work rate down the left flank will not go unnoticed.

Japan based Quinley Quezada was one of the unsung heroes in the game as she personified the team’s determination against Thailand, and she could have been rewarded with a goal midway through the second half.

But ultimately, plaudits will go to goal scorer Chandler McDaniel and very rightly so.

Displaying persistence and industry all game long, she was involved in most of the team’s attacks throughout the match, whether delivering crosses or threading through balls aside from leading the line for the team.

And when the team was looking for a breakthrough goal late in the game, McDaniel delivered.

With the game creeping closer to a scoreless draw, a seemingly harmless headed pass in the 81st minute by Bugay found McDaniel who shrugged off the challenges of three Thai defenders around her before unleashing a long-range goal, that in truth the Thai goalkeeper should have saved.

But, as in life, luck plays a part and after suffering from our football tormentors Thailand both in the men’s and women’s game, we will take a goal however fortuitous it might be.

In the end, it is a well-deserved victory by the Philippines who will look to the rest of the matches with renewed confidence.

Next up will be Australia and the Matildas reminded everyone of their quality by putting 18 goals past a hapless Indonesia in their opening match.

But a rather acrimonious separation between Australia and Coach Stajcic will provide an interesting backdrop to the match.

#RememberTheGoal has been the hashtag of choice for the Philippine ladies, and the victory against Thailand has the Philippines one step closer to the goal of qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

History was made with the Philippines first win against Thailand.

But the players must keep their focus and concentration as they look forward to creating more history, which will culminate hopefully in a ticket to Australia/New Zealand in 2023.

—JMB, GMA News