Finally, a step up the Mount Olympus of the world’s biggest sporting event for the nimble feet of the Filipinas.

Herstory once again happened for Philippine sports as the Philippine Women’s National Football Team stunned host country New Zealand, 1-0, in Wellington on Tuesday to pump a very realistic air of hope of advancing to the knockout stages of their inaugural World Cup stint.

The improbable happened in the 24th minute, when Sarina Bolden headed in the Philippines first ever goal in the World Cup past the gloves of Victoria Esson.

Bolden’s goal—her 23rd in her international career—came off a skillfully done right cross by winger Sara Eggesvik in a set piece initiated by Angela Beard.

That goal was enough for the Filipinas to notch their biggest win in the team’s 43-year history.

Nay, that goal was just half the job done for the nationals.

In the second half, goalkeeper extraordinaire Olivia McDaniel parried each of the five shots on goal by New Zealand and numerous botched crosses and lobs toward the Filipinas’ goal. Not even Oppenheimer’s invention would detonate on McDaniel’s iron gloves with those difficult saves.

The football gods likewise went McDaniel’s side, frustrating the aggressive offense of the Football Ferns.

In the 57th minute, a leakout strike by star forward Hannah Wilkinson off a lob by CJ Bott from a left corner outswing was just inches above the crossbar.

In the 63rd minute, the woodwork assisted McDaniel as Jacqui Hand’s counterattack hit the left goal post.

Five minutes later, Hand finally hit the back of the net with a header but the goal was disallowed after the virtual assistant referee flagged Wilkinson, who issued the cross from the left, was a shoulder offside past Beard upon the entry pass by Ali Riley.

These were major sighs of relief not only for the Filipinas, but for the thousands of Filipino fans the world over as McDaniel completed her clean sheet, highlighted by a crucial save in the 90+3 minute on a power strike by Grace Jale off the New Zealand’s penultimate set piece.

“The win means everything for me. I could care less about this (woman of the match award) more than, you know, winning tonight,” McDaniel, adjudged best player, said after the game.

“The last five minutes felt like twenty years,” she illustrated.

The win positioned the Philippines to third place in Group A, with a big chance of making it to the Round of 16 on Sunday as they finish their elimination campaign versus world number 13 Norway, who remains on last place after a goalless draw with group leader Switzerland.

It is a must-win game for the Filipinas in Auckland to guarantee a ticket to the knockouts, regardless of the result of the Switzerland-New Zealand game to be held simultaneously in Dunedin. * * *