by Kevin Estrada
MANILA – The Philippine Women’s National Football Team, the Filipinas, thought to have a maiden home win in more than three years, but Uzbekistan fought back to salvage a four-goal stalemate in their friendly at the Rizal Memorial Wednesday evening.
In a physical encounter Mark Torcaso’s Filipinas were coasting through after going 2-0 up, but the resolute Central Asians struck twice in a 13-minute stretch to force the draw that denied the hosts its first home win since the 2022 ASEAN Women’s final.
“They are physical, very strong and very intelligent on the ball,” said the Australian about their foes that willed to a credible result against a Women’s World Cup-caliber team.
Chandler McDaniel sent the 3,106-strong crowd into a frenzy inside the first two minutes, scoring from her weaker left foot after a link-up with Meryll Serrano inside the box.
The Filipinas then got into the defensive when Kotryna Kulbyte’s ladies also hit them with quality attempts, only to squander it or ended up in the gloves of Olivia McDaniel, as captain Lyudmila Karachik only sent it over the bar to end the first 45 minutes with the home side barely ahead.
Much of the same had happened at the restart, but Serrano’s hard work was deservedly rewarded in the 56th minute when she latched on Sofia Wunsch’s pass and fired it home past Uzbekistan keeper Maftuna Jonimquilova.
However, Kulbyte’s side then flipped the switch eleven minutes after going two down when Karachik’s free kick found the head of Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva to halve the deficit.
And with ten minutes left, Khabibullaeva completed her brace after linking up with Nilufar Kudratova to beat Olivia with her left foot.
PHILIPPINES: O. McDaniel (GK), DeFazio (Frilles 37’), Cowart, Long ©, Sawicki, C. McDaniel (Cerdon 88′, Beard, Serrano (Mathelus 62′), Pasion (Eggesvik 62′), Wunsch, Guillou
UZBEKISTAN: Jonimquilova (GK), Khikmatova, Kudratova, Ablyakimova (Aminjonova 86′), Mamatkarimova, Khabibullaeva, Shoyimova, Zoirova (Mamatkulova 90+4), Karachik ©, Ergasheva (Asadova 63′), Oraniyazova
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