THE Philippines has ascended to the pinnacle of Southeast Asian Games women’s football, claiming the coveted title after a historic campaign that saw them dethrone eight-time winner Vietnam in the finals, following a crucial victory over five-time victor and host Thailand.
Goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, whose decisive save helped secure the thrilling 6-5 penalty shootout victory against Vietnam after a 0-0 extra-time stalemate, expressed the team’s immense pride and resilience.
“I’m so proud of this team, so proud to be a Filipino and playing for our country,” McDaniel said. She also addressed their critics, stating, “People are doubting us, saying we don’t belong here. But we belong in this conversation, we belong at the top and we’re just continuing to prove ourselves again and again and we want to be regulars at the top.”
The Filipinas’ gold medal makes them only the third country to win the tournament in its first 13 editions, joining Vietnam and Thailand.
This latest triumph is the capstone of a period of significant achievement for the team, including an upset 1-0 win against co-host New Zealand in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a maiden Asean Championship title the year prior, and a bronze medal at the pandemic-delayed SEA Games in Hanoi, which was their best result before this gold.
The Pinay booters’ campaign was marked by an indomitable spirit.
After an opening 1-2 loss to Myanmar in the 33rd edition, they rebounded with strong wins: 1-0 against Vietnam and 6-0 against Malaysia to reach the semifinals.
There, they displayed steely resolve against Thailand, prevailing 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes to earn their first-ever finals berth.
Determined only to win gold, the team battled the five-peat-seeking Vietnamese fiercely. The final mirrored the semifinal, going to a penalty shootout where Jaclyn Sawicki’s go-ahead spot kick and McDaniel’s clinching save against Tran Thi Thu sealed history.
Skipper Hali Long reflected on their mindset throughout the tournament.
“We never wanted to end on a loss, we’re going to win gold or we’re going to win bronze. We gave ourselves no choice so the gold was ours for the taking,” she said.
Long added that their fighting spirit was clear after the first defeat: “We didn’t lose our first game to lose in the end. We dug out of the hole we put ourselves in and we fought and we crawled and we did everything we could in our power to get to the semifinals, to get finals and put it away. As soon as we went to PKs I knew it was ours.”
