In a momentous turn of events, the Philippine women’s national football team, Filipinas, has secured their first-ever victory at the 2023 FIFA World Cup by defeating co-hosts New Zealand, with a close 1-0 scoreline in Wellington.
The breakthrough came at the 24th minute when striker Sarina Bolden skillfully converted a header from a well-executed cross delivered by Sarah Eggesvik during a free-kick play, propelling the Philippines to a 1-0 lead.
Katrina Guillou had an opportunity to further extend the lead to 2-0, but her attempt missed the mark.
Despite dominating possession, New Zealand struggled to breach the resolute defense of Philippine goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, who put on a remarkable display of tenacity, making a crucial save just before halftime. With her efforts, the team coached by Allen Stajcic maintained their 1-nil advantage going into the break.
The hosts fought back in the second half, with Jacqui Hand coming close to equalizing. Her strike hit the post, and while she managed to head the ball into the net later on, the goal was disallowed following a review due to an offside call.
Remaining resilient, the Filipinas thwarted New Zealand’s subsequent attempts with McDaniel’s exceptional saves preserving their slender lead until the final whistle.
With this remarkable victory, the Filipinas are now tied with New Zealand, boasting a 1-0-1 win-draw-loss record in Group A. Meanwhile, Switzerland (1-0-0) and Norway (0-0-1) are still battling it out at the time of this report.
The Philippines’ next challenge is Norway on Sunday at 3 p.m., where they will strive to secure a spot in the Round of 16. Only the top two teams from each group will earn a ticket to the next round.
