THE Philippine national women’s team has done well as a newly-revamped squad.
National coach Mark Torcaso said this after the Filipinas came up with a strong start and dealt Timor-Leste a 7-0 rout in their opening game in the Association of Southeast Asian Nation-MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 on Thursday evening in Vietnam.
“This is a young team that’s developing. It’s a very important win for us as there are players that are developing,” said Torcaso.
The Filipinas, who are preparing for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asia Cup, drew two goals apiece from Quinley Quezada and Dionesa Tolentin, to win and grab the Group B lead with Myanmar.
Myanmar earlier turned back Australia, 2-1, with Win Theingi Tun chipping in the winning goal in the 47th minute.
The Filipinas put on the pressure immediately, knocking in four goals in the first half, off newcomer Aaliyah Schinaman, a 5’5” find from San Mateo California.
Schinaman, an NCAA Division 1 player of the University of California-Berkley, let out a left-footed shot from close range to the bottom left corner off an assist by Chandler McDaniel in the second minute.
Quezada, a member of the Filipinas’ squad that went to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, added a second goal in the seventh minute, a right-footed shot to the center of the goal, after her first attempt got blocked.
Skipper Hali Long was next, with a header off from the center of the box, following McDaniel’s assist with her cross pass, sending the Philippines ahead, 3-0, in the ninth minute.
Thirteen minutes before the first half ended, Quezada connected again, with her left-footed shot from the center of the box handing the Filipinas a 4-0 spread in the 32nd minute.
This time, Quezada scored with the help of Tolentin’s cross pass following a set piece situation.
In the second half, Tolentin struck in succession in the 57th and 64th minutes to bring the Filipinas’ lead up to 6.
Fil-Australian Adelaide Wyrzynski, a newcomer playing out of Tarleton State University in Texas, added a final mark in the 75th minute.
The Filipinas will next clash with Australia on Sunday.
