Lest we forget: Believe in the Filipinas
- Rodolfo Dacleson II
- Dec 17, 2025
- 5 min read
Goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel knew the war was over when Orapin Waenngoen sent her penalty kick over the crossbar. In awe, with her hands clenched, she let out a scream of relief as white shirts flocked to the pitch to celebrate their historic victory against Thailand in the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
The Philippine women's national football team broke the hearts of Thai hopefuls in a thrilling penalty shootout, 4-2, after regulation ended tied at one apiece on Sunday, December 14.
McDaniel kneeled on the turf of Chonburi Stadium, feeling the surreal moment of success. She and her teammates then shared an embrace in the facade of an ecstatic Filipino crowd, who witnessed the Philippines advance to its maiden SEA Games gold medal match since the inception of women's football in the biennial meet history in 1985.
If the Filipinas had a hobby, it might be rewriting history. While special in its own right, their monumental win in the 2025 SEA Games felt like déjà vu. A not-so-distant memory that Filipino football fans could vividly remember. A moment of time entrenched in the hearts of hopefuls that the Philippines could play the “beautiful game” with the world's best.
In late January 2022, early morning in the Philippines, in an empty Sji Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India, with COVID-19 restrictions still imposed, the Filipina booters secured a maiden World Cup qualification. For the first time ever, a Philippine team will be participating in the biggest football conclave. No one saw this coming.
Coming out of a group with powerhouse Australia and Southeast Asian giant Thailand in it, the then-called “Malditas” just beat the odds. But the most important match in the players' careers came in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup.
Chinese Taipei has been a thorn in the Philippines' throat before their crucial match. The Taiwanese squad eliminated the Southeast Asian side from the third round of the 2020 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Come the Asian Cup, they scored a late goal in regulation to force an extra time, which eventually went to a decisive penalty shootout.
Tied at two-all, Chinese Taipei keeper Cheng Ssu-yu denied Jessica Miclat, while her compatriot Chen Ying-Hui nailed her attempt against McDaniel, putting their feet a penalty away from traveling to Down Under in 2023.
With Hali Long missing her spot-kick, the fate of the Philippines seemed sealed. As it turned out, the football gods had another plan.
Yi-Yun Hsu failed to deliver the match-winning penalty, while McDaniel leveled the score at three-all. The California native, who was born to a Filipino mother, then denied the attempts of Sin-Yu Su and Zhou Li-ping before Sarina Bolden fired the winner.
ALSO READ: Herstory made: Thanks to Bolden, PH claims first FIFA Women's World Cup win over New Zealand
“Even before this game, I kept saying to myself, 'We are going to win',” said McDaniel, recounting her experience in an interview with FIFA.com. “I prayed before and after each spot-kick. Even when we missed two penalties, I believed we could come out on top. I had faith.”
This was the first time the Philippines had made it to a FIFA World Cup, for either men's and women's teams. After the celebrations were done, I just stood on the field and had a sigh of relief. It was then I began to realize what we had achieved. – Olivia McDaniel after the Philippines qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
Under a different night sky, the Malditas shone the brightest. Their silent work nearly 5,000 kilometers away spread like wildfire in the island nation, as Filipinos took to social media to express admiration. They're no longer in the shadows. More than that, and what they have proven time and time again, results take one's courage, perseverance, and patience.
Midway December this year, in a different field and chilly night in Chonburi, the now-known Filipinas let their job do the talking for them, yet humble and graceful, and for the country and its people they chose to represent.
“Going into the semifinals, we're just so excited because not only are we doing this together but we're doing this for the country, we're making history at the same time,” said former Young Filipinas captain Ariana Markey, who scored her first international goal for the Philippines in her first senior cap, after they demolished Malaysia to punch their semifinal ticket in the SEA Games. “We're gonna make history, so yeah, we're just really excited.” Indeed, that's what she and the rest of the team did.
It's been an up-and-down year for the Filipinas. They couldn't defend their title in the ASEAN Women’s Championship, formerly known as the AFF Women's Championship, after being eliminated in the group stages. They even went winless in their two home matches against Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan. Heading into the SEA Games, their only saving grace was reaching the Asian Cup for the third straight time since 2018. But it wasn't enough to keep concerns in check.
It's been the story since they became a World Cup team. Expectations are at an all-time high, with no room for errors for the harshest of critics, doubters, and naysayers. Still, in such immense pressure, they grew to restore the faith in them.
“There’s been a lot of doubt for some of our players and what they’ve been able to prove in the last couple of months, and they’ve got themselves into a gold medal match, and I couldn’t be prouder. They haven’t stopped fighting this whole competition,” said Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso in a post-match media conference, as quoted by One Sports.
Winning it all could fittingly exorcise the demons that have been hounding the Filipinas. On Wednesday, December 17, they will stake everything against Vietnam, which seeks to extend its SEA Games reign to five consecutive editions.
“We’re not tired, we’re hungry, we want it. It’s a first-time feeling for us, and a familiar feeling for Vietnam,” said Long, who earned her 100th cap for the Philippines as team captain in their semifinal bout against Thailand.
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