The Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team, with their best potential, faced their Southeast Asian rivals for the first-ever ASEAN Women’s Futsal Tournament. The Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team finished last with one point in the inaugural ASEAN Women’s Futsal Tournament after drawing with Myanmar and losing to Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. As the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, the Pinay Five punched above their weight in all of their matches but were ultimately outclassed by their Southeast Asian counterparts from November 16 to 21, 2024, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Stride for stride
Last November 16, the Philippines kicked off their campaign against Myanmar in front of a large and energetic crowd. The blue shirts dominated the opening exchanges, creating chance after chance despite being ranked 22 places lower than their opponents. Myanmar eventually found its footing and began to match the Philippines’ tempo. Goalkeeper Mykaella Abeto was called into action numerous times to deflect the Burmese efforts.
With both teams going stride for stride, it was the home team that opened the scoring. At the 8:38 mark, Team Captain Isabella Bandoja dribbled through the Myanmar defense before sending a powerful shot into the bottom corner of the goal, giving the Philippines the advantage, 1-0. Not long after, with four minutes left before halftime, the Pinay Five nearly doubled their lead when DLSU Lady Booter Shai Del Campo released an inch-perfect pass to Althea Rebosura, who unleashed a strike. However, her effort bounced off the post. It was cleared by Myanmar before the referee eventually blew the whistle for halftime.
Determined to level the scoring after the halftime break, Myanmar’s attackers began facilitating more fluid attacks. The away side quickly found their equalizer at the 16:56 mark when Lwin Lwin Thet finished from close range after a onetwo play with Than Than Wai, 1-all. With momentum now on their side, Myanmar pushed for the go-ahead goal. Shortly after, Filipina defender Cathrine Graversen was caught for a handball violation inside the penalty area. Yun Mi Mi Lwin’s penalty kick was initially saved by substitute goalkeeper Samantha Hughes, but the rebound was converted to put Myanmar ahead, 2-1.
The Philippines responded instantly. Attacker Agot Danton pounced on the poor defense of Myanmar to tie the scores once again, 2-all. With only five minutes left, the Pinay Five searched for the go ahead goal. They almost found it when Myanmar conceded a penalty. However, it was saved by goalkeeper Chaw Sandi Aung. Time eventually ran out, splitting the points for both nations on the opening day of the tournament.
Thai thumping
Buoyed by their opening day draw, the Philippines faced their toughest challenge of the whole tournament: world number six and championship favorite Thailand. The away team did not hesitate to launch their onslaught, netting three goals within the first 15 minutes of the fixture. Sangrawee Mekham of Thailand scored a point at the 14:38 mark to put them ahead, 1-0. Shortly after, Sawitree Mamyalee and Paerploy Huajaiptech both converted powerful free kicks from long range that beat Abeto, 3-0.
The Pinay Five nearly responded though DLSU nearly responded with a goal of their own Lady Booter Lyka Teves. Despite her valiant effort, her shot traveled wide from close range. Seemingly unable to match the Thai’s fitness, the Filipinas gave up another goal to the tournament favorites when Darika Peanpailun expertly converted her shot to make it 4-0.
The second half followed a similar pattern like the first. Constantly pressing for a fifth goal, the Thais eventually found it through Lalida Chimpabit, who confidently beat the Philippine defense, 5-0. Moments later with 11:49 left on the clock, Mekham bagged her second goal, extending her team’s lead to 6-0. With the Filipino crowd silent and Thailand in full control, the Pinay Five spent the remaining minutes of the matchup dejected and lifeless, unable to build any sustainable attacks. Thailand capped off their thumping victory with a goal in the last minute through Artkla Nattamon, who rubbed salt into the Filipinas’ wounds before the referee blew for full time, 7-0.
A tale of two halves
In their third match on November 19, the Pinay Five matched up against world number 11 Vietnam, who were fresh off a 5-0 win against Indonesia. The Philippines matched the opponent’s aggression with a flurry of attacks. Half chances, quick passes, and a full-court man-marking press kept the opposing players on the back foot. Lanie Ortillo and Danton each had two first-half attempts on Vietnam’s goal, but they were all denied by goalkeeper Ngo Nguyen Thuy Linh. The high-energy playstyle came with risky passes in the defensive lines, rendering the home side vulnerable to Vietnamese counters.
The match was at a stalemate until a loose pass from the Philippines gave space to Tran Thi Lan Mai to score for Vietnam in the 13th minute of the first half, 1-0. Unfazed, the Filipinas continued their relentless assault, threatening their opponents with half-chances up to the last minutes of the half. At the break, they tallied an impressive 59-percent possession and registered 17 shots on the goal.
Sixteen seconds into the second half, the Philippines were dealt with a harsh blow as Team Captain Bandoja suffered a leg injury. With the Philippines reeling from the loss of their captain, Le Thi Thanh Ngan doubled the away side’s advantage to 2-0. Stunned by the early setback, the Filipinas could not maintain their man-marking and high-energy press. Their passes grew sloppy, and the off-ball movement in the attack was noticeably lacking.
Determined to stage an unlikely comeback, substitute and DLSU Lady Booters standout Shai Del Campo restored parity after finishing off the right wing three minutes later with a precise assist from Hazel Lustan, 2-1. Aiming to win the match, Vietnam shifted gears to kill the Philippines’ newfound momentum. Over the next 10 minutes, Vietnam scored off of three kick-ins through Tran, Nguyen Phuong Anh, K’Thua K’Thua, and Tran Thi Thu Xuan. Putting the nail in the coffin, Tran exploited the exhausted Filipinas’ defense at the 11:01 point, 6-1.
Monumental margins
Despite a winless run leading into the final matchday, the Philippines entered a do-or-die situation against ASEAN giants Indonesia with hopes of extending their tournament run to the semifinals. To advance to the next round, the hosts needed at least a draw. After seeing the team’s exhaustion from the previous fixture, Head Coach Vic Hermans instructed the Philippines to play a conservative low block, allowing Indonesia to hold possession without penetrating the final third. The Pinay Five relied on quick counterattacks to try and catch their opponents off guard.
The first half saw both teams nullify each other, with neither able to create clear-cut chances for the first. However, it was the Indonesians who broke the deadlock after Alya Hendrita lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Abeto at the 13:55 mark, 1-0. Fortunately, the Philippines responded at the 8:52 mark with a well taken strike by Bandoja from a tight angle off the left, 1-all.
With a semifinal spot on the line, the game intensified in the second half. Fifteen-year-old wonderkid Louiraine Evanglista showed her talent for the Philippines with impressive dribbles through the Indonesian defenders. Meanwhile, 16-year-old goalkeeper Samantha Hughes stepped up following an injury to Abeto, making crucial saves to keep the Pinay Five in the game.
As the match reached its climax, Herman’s game plan proved effective; Indonesia started to tire out just as the Philippines found their groove. Multiple high-quality chances were created for the home team, with Ortillo and Jada Bicierro making several attempts across the second half. Despite their persistent efforts, it was Indonesia who capitalized when it mattered most. With barely a minute remaining in the second half, Nisma Rusiana scored off a kick-in, nutmegging goalkeeper Hughes and destroying the Philippines’ semifinal hopes in heartbreaking fashion, 2-1. Ortillo nearly equalized the game for the second time, but Indonesian goalkeeper Sella Agustin smothered her attempt before the referee blew for full-time, 2-1.
Following a promising but ultimately winless campaign, the Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team parted ways with Hermans after two years of service. Spanish coach Rafa Merino has since taken the helm, guiding the team to a successful qualifying phase for the 2025 FIFA Women’s Futsal Asian Cup. Looking ahead, the team is eager to present a good showing in their debut in the 2025 FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup, which is set to be historically hosted in the Philippines from November to December.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s January 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSJanuary2025.
