Chandler McDaniel netted a brace as the Philippine Women’s National Football Team secured a commanding 4-1 win over the United Arab Emirates, Friday (Manila time) at the UAE Football Association Headquarters.
The 27-year-old Stallion Laguna forward opened her scoring account in the 19th minute with a strike from outside the box, then doubled her tally in the 33rd minute to give the Filipinas a comfortable four-goal cushion heading into halftime.
Skipper Hali Long broke the deadlock early, finding the back of the net in the eighth minute to set the tone for coach Mark Torcaso’s squad.
Midfielder Meryll Serrano added to the tally with a close-range finish in the 31st minute, capping off a dominant first-half performance.
“That we were able to implement the playing style was very important to us,” said Torcaso. “This was our first official international match of the year, so it was important for us to score goals, but also to build the playing style.
“All four of our goals were scored with the way we want to play, so now it’s about building that into the next game, the next window, and then the Asian Cup Qualifiers.”
Although the Filipinas had already secured the win, the UAE managed a consolation goal in the second half.
The latter stages of the match also saw international debuts for Aliana Weibel and Paige McSwigan, along with appearances from Kaya Hawkinson, Nina Meollo, Bella Pasion, and Alex Carpio.
The Philippines and the UAE are set to clash once again on Tuesday to conclude their friendly double-header.
“The second game will be harder because now they know how we play. But it’s important for us to have that challenge. It’s been a great game today, it’s been a great couple of days, and we’re looking forward to the second game and getting another good result,” added Torcaso.
