The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup witnessed the Philippines Women’s National Football Team’s history-making debut. This marked the first-ever Women’s World Cup participation by the Philippines, making it a watershed moment for football in the country.
Their inaugural match against Switzerland, although ending in a 2-0 defeat, showcased the team’s indomitable spirit, sparking excitement and national pride among fans. Despite the Swiss team being the anticipated victors, Philippine’s goalkeeper, Olivia McDaniel, stood out with a series of remarkable saves.
Philippines 0-2 Switzerland Highlights
Switzerland scored their first goal late in the opening half, thanks to a penalty shot by Ramona Bachmann. Seraina Piubel furthered the Swiss lead in the second half with a close-range effort.
The Philippine team displayed an aggressive start, posing challenges to Switzerland’s possession. Although a 16th-minute goal from Katrina Guillou was dismissed for offside, Switzerland gradually dominated the match, leaving the Philippines defensive and missing several close-range opportunities.
The Women’s World Cup debut signifies a critical turning point for the Philippines Women’s National Football Team, highlighting its significant growth and evolution over the recent years.
Switzerland awarded controversial penalty against Philippines
The first goal was netted following a penalty kick, a decision that came after several minutes of scrutinising the incident through the VAR system. The foul, however, wasn’t blatantly evident. The verdict was told in a modern, experimental way to the audience, as the referee announced it by the microphone herself.
Analysts from Fox Sports weighed in on the situation and suggested that even without the penalty call, Switzerland would likely have retained the upper hand.
Conrad: “I don’t know if it was going to change the end result. I think Switzerland would’ve created enough chances to win that game.”
Gill: “I think it’s the context (this wasn’t a goal-scoring threat) that needs to be taken into consideration. She’s running away from goal effectively, and the result of that is so much greater than if it’s happened anywhere else on the field. The consequences are far more dire, but … as soon as she made contact, it’s gonna be a penalty any day of the week.”
Osborne: “I agree (with the call). That’s the beauty of VAR.”
Press conference of Philippines’ head coach
“There’s no doubt they are the better team and they should be. But, you know, I was really proud of the spirit that our team showed.
I think we showed that we are competitive and that’s the main thing. And we played New Zealand last year in a friendly and they won two one.
So we know that there are a strong team as well. And they showed that the other night against Norway. But we lost two one. So we know that if we can improve a little bit, we can certainly be competitive in that game.”
Alen Stajcic
Next for Philippines is a game against a co-host nation in New Zealand who defeated Norway 1-0 in their opening match on Thursday, remaining the main sensation of the tournament yet.
To sum up, the Philippines’ historic participation in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup represents a monumental milestone for the country’s football journey.
Despite being relative newcomers on the global stage, the future seems promising for the Philippines Women’s National Football Team, with their inspiring debut predicted to motivate future generations.
