When Quinley Quezada pivoted for a cross after rebounding a Carleigh Frilles shot that hit the goal crossbar, the Philippines’ all-time leading scorer raised both her arms with her back on the glorious action that ensued and, and with a hubris only a Prometheus in blue could muster, was very much assured that there’s no turning back the march of history.

The ball landed on the head of a trailing Sarina Bolden and hit the back of the net for the Philippines’ fourth goal—against no less than the defending champions and Southeast Asia’s best football team Vietnam.

In sports, celebrating too early is shunned as being cocky and overconfident. But that oozing confidence of 27 women is what brought the Philippines to the finals of the 2022 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship—their first final game in team history.

Nay, it was the first time a Filipino national team reached an ASEAN finals in the country’s century-long football history.

The Philippine Women’s National Football Team, officially named the Filipinas but still widely regarded by fans as the Malditas (lit. feisty women), annihilated regional powerhouse Vietnam, 4-0, in no miraculous fashion Friday night in the Rizal Memorial Stadium to win the 2022 AFF semifinals.

The veteran trio of Bolden, Tahnai Annis, and Hali Long led the Filiipnas’ scoring attack.

The opener came at the 32nd minute, when full back Long headed in a goal off a right corner kick by Annis.

Long, playing in her 60th cap, scored her 15th international goal to be at third place in the all-time national scoring list.

The goal started a frenetic streak for the Filipinas, with Bolden aggressively shooting for the next three minutes, and even the halftime break did not douse cold water to the Philippine momentum.

Vietnam tried to slow down the pace by playing tiki-taka football in the second half but even that could not help them recover from the Filipinas’ vaunted midfield press.

A second goal was due as, at the 51st minute, as Tahnai Annis earned a penalty kick, converting the freebie with ease after defender Tran Thi Thu handballed her shot attempt.

It was Annis’ 11th international goal and third in the tournament.

Since then, Vietnam could only afford wayward long shots and two saved attempts by ace midfielder Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung as the Filipinas were splendid on both defense and offense, especially in midfield.

Annis issued her second corner kick assist of the game at the 62nd minute for Bolden’s first goal. She completed her brace nine minutes later in a splendid running attack involving Quezada and Frilles.

“It was just amazing performance by every single person on and off the field. To knock [Vietnam] down is huge,” said Bolden, who has scored seven goals to top the tournament and 16 in international play to become the Philippines’ second all-time leading scorer.

The Filipinas will face group stage tormentor Thailand in the finals on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The Thais topped Group A last Tuesday with a 1-0 win against the home team. They have also bested the Philippines, 3-0, in the May Southeast Asian Games after dropping their first head-to-head of the year, 0-1, in the AFC Women’s Championship.

Thailand, ousting Myanmar in a 2-0 win in the first semifinal game, will enter their seventh AFF finals and will aim for a record fifth trophy.

It will be the Philippines’ maiden finals in the ASEAN level.

“A complete performance, perhaps the best performance the women’s has ever had in international football,” Philippine head coach Alen Stajcic commented about the semifinal performance of his wards.

“Ultimately, there’s one big game left,” he concluded.

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