Since its introduction by English expats in 1895, a small but dedicated niche of Filipinos has, for generations, dreamed of being part of a world championship in the globe’s most popular sport.
That dream has been passed from generation to generation, from the pioneering Fil-Spanish star Paulino Alcantara to the millennium’s poster boy Phil Younghusband, from current federation chief Nonong Araneta to the late Chris Monfort of the dark decades of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and from the inaugural women’s squad in 1980 led by former First Daughter Cristy Ramos to the current squad captained by Hali Long.
One hundred twenty-seven years of Philippine football history has finally reached its climax: A FIFA World Cup final trip. That ticket was punched, or rather, kicked in by our feisty women.
The Philippine women’s national football team, popularly known as the Malditas, vanquished bitter rival Taiwan for the first time in team history and in the process, booked a ticket to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Monday midnight (Manila time) in Pune, India.
The Pinays won in a penalty shootout, 4-3, after a 1-1 tie.
Veteran Sarina Bolden of Saitama, who muffed a penalty kick in the game against Indonesia, sank the winner past Taiwanese goalkeeper Cheng Ssu-Yu in the Malditas sixth attempt.
Part of the win was sophomore Olivia McDaniel, who shined bright by saving two consecutive shots from Su Hsin-Yun and Taiwanese goal scorer Zhou Li-Ping.
McDaniel, in her fifth cap and first stint against penalty kicks, sank the penultimate fifth shot that saved the Malditas from a 2-3 score.
Ting Chi, captain Wang Hsiang-Huei, and Chen Yung-Hui easily sank the first three shots of Taiwan past the wide-eyed McDaniel.
After conversions from Sara Castañeda and Tahnai Annis, the Mulans almost denied the Malditas a World Cup berth when Cheng saved Jessica Miclat’s shot in the third attempt, which broke the tie.
Luck was on McDaniel’s side as Hsu Yi-Yun muffed Taiwan’s fourth shot to the left goal post.
Team captain Long, however, muffed her shot thereafter, which was saved by Cheng.
That was when McDaniel collected herself and saved Su and Zhou’s shots while tying the shootout with her shot, which was eventually won by the Pinays through Bolden.
It was a nip and tuck game for both teams prior to the shootout.
The Mulans, who were erstwhile undefeated to Malditas in five games, had two early shots on goal in counterattacks.
In the 17th minute, wing back Pan Shin-You had a surprise run past defender Dominique Randle for a running shot at point blank, only to be saved by McDaniel.
Six minutes later, Chen Yen-Ping had a similar counterattack past the defense of Randle and Long but was also saved by McDaniel.
The Malditas had two good shots from the left wing in the first half courtesy of Katrina Gillou and Quinley Quezada but these were saved by Cheng.
The Malditas had their sample World Cup ticket in the 49th minute, with Chiba standout Quezada sinking a quick strike off a header pass from Gillou. The goal, Quezada’s eighth, came from a set play off a left-side throw by Sofia Harrison.
Both squads had decent shots on goal but Bolden and Long muffed crucial headers off corner kicks while Taiwanese captain Wang’s strike from distance was blocked by McDaniel.
The Mulans, who last appeared in the World Cup in 1991, scored the equalizer courtesy of substitute Zhou, who curled a beautiful long volley from the right flank that pierced the top left net.
The Malditas scrambled for the winning goal but attempts from Bolden, Ryley Bugay, and Chandler McDaniel were too soft while shots from Su Yu-Hsuan and Ting missed the goal.
Both squads were gassed in extra time as attempts from Bolden, Annis, and Lin Hsin-Hui missed.
The Malditas’ final chance at averting a penalty shootout came in the 108th minute, with a soft shot from Guillou that was easily blocked by Cheng.
The tournament is not over for both squads though as the Malditas will shoot for a monumental upset against surprise semifinalist South Korea on Thursday.
Earlier, the Taegeuk Ladies upset World Cup co-host Australia Matildas, 1-0, with a late goal from Chelsea standout Ji So-Yun.
It was the Koreans who previously denied the Malditas a World Cup ticket with a 5-0 rout in the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup battle for fifth place.
The World Cup dream of the Mulans, however, is not over as they are relegated to a three-team round-robin repechage for the final ticket allotted to AFC. Joining them are Vietnam, which lost to China, 1-3, and Thailand, which were walloped by defending champions Japan, 0-7
Photos from Philippine Women’s National Football Team
-RNB
