Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 15) – An inspired Philippine women’s football team dominated and dethroned Vietnam, 4-0, in the semifinals of AFF Women’s Championship Friday to clinch its first-ever finals berth in the regional football tournament.
The milestone adds to the laudable feats of team Filipinas this year, having earned the country’s maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in January and ended a 37-year medal drought in the Southeast Asian Games in May after a bronze medal finish.
National team veterans Hali Long, Tahnai Annis, and Sarina Bolden delivered the goals that pumped up the 3,233-strong home crowd in the crucial tussle held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Filipinas notched the golden opportunity for the lead in the 32nd minute when Annis made a corner kick assist to Long, who nailed the breakthrough strike in her 60th international cap.
Fueled by a one-goal advantage in halftime, the Alen Stajcic-mentored Filipina booters struck more goals in the second half in a bid to further assert their might against fellow FIFA Women’s World Cup debutante squad.
Filipinas team captain Annis doubled the host country’s lead in the 50th minute after she converted her penalty kick.
Annis was brought to the penalty line after Isabella Flanigan was pushed by two Vietnamese defenders inside the box.
Tournament top scorer Sarina Bolden added two more goals to her name in a ten-minute span to extend the Philippines’ lead to four.
Bolden scored her first goal of the match in the 61st minute as she hit a header off another Annis corner kick set play.
The Filipinas top striker notched her seventh goal of the tournament in the 70th minute with another header, coming from a Quinley Quezada assist off a missed long strike by young booter Carleigh Frilles.
“To be able to get two goals against a formidable opponent, it’s really great. But I couldn’t that without all my teammates working literally their butts off until they dropped to the ground. It was a collective effort,” Bolden said.
The Filipina booters held on to their defense in the last 24 minutes of the match to avenge in big fashion their defeat to Vietnam in the group stage of the 31st SEA Games two months ago.
“This is probably the best performance that this team has ever played. It is a landmark in terms of beating probably the best team in Southeast Asia,” Stajcic said after the match.
The Filipinas are bracing for a grudge match against Thailand in the finals set on Sunday. The Thais gave the Filipinas their lone defeat in the tournament.
