After a historic AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 campaign that was capped off by a fine individual performance, which almost single-handedly secured the Philippine Women’s National Football Team a ticket to the FIFA World Cup 2023, goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel is finally having some time off from a sport that can be so draining while being fulfilling at the same time.
“There were definitely nerves leading up to standing on the pitch and listening to the first whistle blow,” said the 5-foot-8 stopper. “I think I had to really just get my first catch or touch on the ball, and after that, I settled down and I said – ‘Okay, you’ve got this. You’ve been playing this sport forever. You know what to do.’
“I think after the first 15 to 20 minutes, I really settled down and the nerves kinds just dispersed.”
While the 24-year-old goalie will always be synonymous with her exploits against Chinese Taipei to deliver the World Cup dream for the Philippines, she demonstrated anew her shot-saving prowess against South Korea in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup amidst the opposition’s constant bombardment of her goal.
“I think especially in the first five minutes, we let in a goal I usually won’t let that in,” admitted McDaniel. “I think I was just so nervous and the high pressure of being in a semi-final match against South Korea but I think after we handled our nerves a little bit, after the first 20 to 30 (minutes), we came back out in the second half, I think, we actually really took it against them in the second half.
“We said we weren’t done and we weren’t going to go down without a fight until the very last whistle. I think during that game, we were trying our absolute hardest to get what we could absolutely get from that game and be there and be in the moment.”
While the Filipinas had an impressive tournament, it was apparent that they struggled to play consistently well in 90 minutes against world-class teams like Australia and South Korea. With more and more international tournaments on the horizon, better game management is needed to cross the proverbial finish line.
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“No matter what you’re ranked as or where you come from or what country you come from, I think when you’re playing in a football game like that, anything can happen. A missed tackle, an accidental goal – anything can happen and with that, the moment can change back-and-forth,” said the Laguna Beach, California, native.
“I think it’s important for us, especially in our game against Australia, our first 45 minutes were magnificent and then against South Korea, on the other side, our second 45 minutes were absolutely amazing. So I think – if we can put both of those two components together, we can be very competitive against top teams like them.”
Alongside her sister Chandler, McDaniel has enjoyed a strong bond with her teammates. From the three-month training camp in the US until their short break in Manila, all of them have been through so much together that it is safe to say this has been an experience of a lifetime.
“I think having someone to have your back and know what you’re going through has been so, so, so important and someone to rely on has really helped me keep going and I think (we) helped each other keep going and keep pushing towards our goal,” said the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee graduate.
Whatever happens down the line, McDaniel will always be remembered for producing two fine stops and scoring a spot-kick in the penalty shootout against Chinese Taipei, which booked the Philippines a World Cup ticket. Amidst so many challenges ahead, she is just happy to bask in her team’s achievement for now.
“In the Philippines, everyone’s family essentially so I think it was just incredible to be able to feel (the support) especially since we did not have fans in the stadium and seeing it online after when we got back in the locker room – it was incredible.”
