Filipinas' bronze medal in SEAG women's football — PH's first in 37 years — shines like gold

The Philippines came from behind 2-1 to beat Myanmar for the first time in history and win the bronze medal in the 31st SEA Games women’s football tournament being held in Cam Pha, Vietnam.

After going 37 years without a podium finish, this was sweet reward for the Filipinas, who avenged the defeat to Myanmar also in the battle for third place in the 2019 SEA Games in Binan, Laguna.

After being outplayed by Thailand in the semi-finals, the Filipinas main focus was to try and at least finish as one of the top three teams of the region, and against Myanmar, they started brightly with left wingback Sofia Harrison in particular lively in the first quarter of an hour.

But it was Myanmar who would strike first in this game, with the Filipinas guilty of losing the ball in a dangerous area and on the ensuing play giving up a penalty to trail 0-1 at the half.

Coach Alen Stajcic would have implored the team for improvements in the half time team talk, and the Filipinas came out of the second half with an extra fire in their step.

Sarina Bolden embodied the persistence of the Filipinas with her long-range shots and overall work rate, and she was rewarded with a goal in the 73rd minute, courtesy of an excellent through ball from substitute Carleigh Frilles.

Quinley Quezada was in the squad — and scored — three years ago where Myanmar beat the Philippines to the bronze medal and it was fitting that she scores the winner in the 76th minute this time around to seal the comeback win.

Before the tournament, players, coaches, and fans are one in saying that these SEA Games are going to be a very good gauge as to where the Filipinas actually stand in the world of women’s football.

And as often as is the case, final results don't lie.

As of the moment, the Philippines are most definitely good enough to beat the likes of Cambodia and Indonesia.

We are also the team has difficulty, to say the least, to beat Vietnam and Thailand, and one that had to come from behind to beat Myanmar.

However unpalatable it may sound, that is exactly where we are at the moment. And that may not be a bad thing.

Stajcic had mentioned the journey the Filipinas are on, as ‘only emerging at this level.’

“We’ve only just started on this journey on this level of football,” said Stajcic after the loss to Thailand.

And the journey continues for the Filipinas, with the AFF Championships in Manila, together with possibly the Asian Games and then to the World Cup.

But the Filipinas know that they have to improve considerably by leaps and bounds to compete at those higher levels of football, and prove to the naysayers that the qualification to the FIFA World Cup in the Asian Cup was not a fluke and a one-off result.

We should aim to keep improving our level, be it fitness levels, team tactics, discipline, scouting and recruitment, and overall skill level.

In the first half, we went back to basics and used the formula that served us well in the successful stint in the Asian Cup, which was to keep it tight, defend with discipline, and bomb forward when the opportunity arose.

As we go along this journey, we will develop our own identity as we move forward. Are we a team that will take the game to the opponent by the scruff of the neck, or are we happy to sit deep and hit teams on the counter?

Are we a team who has the players with the technical ability to play the ball out from the back and through the midfield, or as we seen in the second half against Myanmar, a team that can pump the long balls direct to our big forwards?

The answer could be: we can be a bit of everything if necessary.

Also, with qualification to the FIFA World Cup, expectations for the team have been understandably raised.

And with these heightened expectations come more pressure from the fans to the media for the team to perform, something that they will have to get used to going forward, as there is simply no place to hide.

Coming into the SEA Games, a podium finish was perhaps the realistic target and maybe the minimum that this team should aim for.

And having achieved that, it is mission accomplished for the team. We now know where we stand in Southeast Asia, and know how much we have to improve to climb the rung.

The Filipinas now take home the bronze medal, which will most definitely shine like gold, especially after the struggles against Vietnam in the group stages and against Thailand in the semis.

A medal is a medal and it is a definite improvement over the 4th place finish in this very competition three years ago.

More importantly, it marks progress for this team who will not quit until the final whistle, who keep making history, and who continue to bring glory to the country.

Laban Filipinas!

You certainly won the moment in Vietnam.

—JMB, GMA News