FRESH from a rousing 1-0 upset of Thailand three days ago, the Philippines faces mighty Australia today in a pivotal Group B match between unbeaten squads in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup at the Mumbai Football Arena in India.
The Filipina booters are expected to be in high spirits when they tangle with the Matildas at 3: 30 p.m. (6 p.m. Manila time), with the winner virtually guaranteed of gaining the knockout quarterfinals of the tournament serving as the continent’s qualifying event for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Winless Thailand and Indonesia, which suffered a 0-18 rout at the hands of Australia last Friday, collide in the other group match at 5:30 p.m. (8 p.m. Manila time) at the DIY Patel Stadium in Mumbai, the loser moving closer to the exit of the 12-team competition.
Serving as the national squad’s ace against the Aussies is no less than its own coach, Allen Stajcic, who handled the Matildas before accepting his latest assignment and will likely draw several game plans to contain and prevail over his former wards.
The Pinay ballers will have time to relish their historic 1-0 triumph against the Thais, thanks to the heroics of striker Chandler McDaniel, who scored the winning goal in the 81st minute, a 20-yard scorcher the Thai goalie fumbled and dribbled into the net.
The victory snapped a 12-game jinx against the Thais and pushed the Filipinos closer to their goal of qualifying for the Women’s World Cup to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
“The team and I kept pushing on and making good opportunities. Quinley Quezada and I kept going forward. Luckily, I took a shot and it went in,” recalled McDaniel in an interview a day after the victory that was posted on the Asian Football Confederation website.
“It’s a massive win,” Stajcic said as he savored his first triumph as coach of the Philippine side. “It definitely improves our chances of making the next round.”
Rather than feeling daunted, McDaniel relished the prospect of playing the Matildas, saying:
“We are all very excited to play against Australia. They are one of the best teams in the world. For me, it’s a dream come true to play against them and I know my team is going to give it our all and compete.”
Should the Nationals pull off another massive upset, they are a cinch to make it to the quarterfinals, in contention for the five slots at stake for the Women’s World Cup.
