Win 1st Asean Football crown at expense of powerhouse Thais
History was made on Sunday night as the Philippines completed its magical run and got past a tough Thailand team, 3-0, to claim its first ever crown in the 2022 ASEAN Women’s Football Championship before a loud and proud Filipino crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Fans totalling 8,527 erupted in wild cheering, singing, and hollering before later giving the national team a standing ovation as the Filipinas took their historic first championship after goals from Jessica Kowart, Katrina Guillou, and Sarina Bolden in the 7th, 20th, and 89th minutes.
Their efforts allowed the Philippine team to finally score a title win over the Thais, who have never been beaten by a Philippine side since 1981.
Coach Allen Stajcic said months of preparation, beginning in November for the girls have paid off as they await their coming stint in the 2023 FIFA World Cup for Women in July next year.
“It’s exhilarating to have such a performance in front of this crowd. The players have pushed it,” said Stajcic in paying tribute to the Filipinas and their intense preparations, which saw them playing 15 matches in two continents for 25 days.
Historically, the Philippines have met the Thais in 16 different tournaments since 1983, with the Thais winning all their 15 previous encounters, including their first match in the 1981 Asian Football Confederation competitions and their first AFF showdown in 1985.
The rainy evening turned into a night of partying among appreciative fans, who gave the Filipinas a standing ovation after they denied the Thais their fifth championship since 2011.
Kowart, a 5’8” Filipino American midfielder, led the attack, knocking in the Filipinas’ first goal after receiving a corner kick from Tahnai Annis and heading it into the net from 15 meters.
Cheers of “Ole Ole Ole” came from the fans as they realized that the Filipinas were about to achieve what no other national women’s football squad has done before.
It got even noisier and more festive as Guillou and Bolden came forward with the second and third goals.
The 28-year old Guillou, an attacking midfielder for Swedish Damallsvenskan club Piteå IF, struck in the 20th minute when Jaclyn Sawicki rolled in a pass from 20 meters as she quickly flicked in the second marker from five meters away.
Bolden, who eventually ended up as the most prolific scorer of the tournament with eight goals, finally knocked in the last goal with a header from inside a crowded penalty box after receiving corner kick from Sara Eggesvik.
The Thais, the silver medallists in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games, earned runners-up honors in the tournament after also finishing second to Vietnam back in 2019.
There were nine chances for the Thais to score, and four were on target but all of them missed, while the Filipinas managed 13, with seven of them within range and three finding the back of the net.
Five of the Thais’ efforts to connect with goals were stopped when Filipina goalie Olivia McDaniel came in to block these efforts.
The Filipinas’ stunning title run included an impressive 4-0 win over reigning SEA Games’ champion Vietnam, the ousted titlists in the tournament.