In a heart-pounding showdown with an AFC Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup ticket at stake, Isabella Preston emerged as the shining beacon of hope for the Philippine Under-17 Women’s National Football Team.
With a single, thunderous strike from a free kick in the 56th minute, Preston etched her name into history, propelling the Filipinas to a triumphant 1-0 victory over Vietnam in the second qualifying round of the 2024 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers on Sunday in Hanoi.
The exhilarating win not only secured their place in the 2024 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup but also ignited a fervent dream of glory that will burn bright in Indonesia this April.
As the final whistle echoed across the pitch, the Filipinas stood tall in second place in Group B, their spirits soaring with six points.
“The defensive performance of these girls is amazing,” said coach Sinisha Cohadzic. “Such a big result. Such a big stage. The Philippines must be all proud of these girls and let’s go to the next step.”
The Philippines started this competition with a 6-2 loss to Australia last Wednesday. However, the Filipinas bounced back last Friday with a 3-1 victory over Bangladesh.
The earlier kickoff saw Australia overcome Bangladesh 4-0 to top Group B with 9 points after three straight wins. Sienna Dale scored all four goals for the Junior Matildas.
Vietnam finished in third place in Group B with 3 points after one win and two defeats. Bangladesh ended its run in last place with three straight losses.
