History has been made.
For the first time ever, the Philippine Women’s National Football Team has earned the right to contest the gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games.
The Filipinas secured their finals berth in the most dramatic fashion on Sunday at Chonburi Stadium.
After scoring a crucial late equalizer to force a 1–1 deadlock through extra time, the Philippines outlasted host nation Thailand 4–2 in a historic penalty shootout, stunning the home supporters at Chonburi Daikin Stadium.
Already celebrated for their milestone win against New Zealand in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and their breakthrough AFF Women’s Championship title at home the year before, the Filipinas now have the opportunity to add another historic achievement by aiming for the SEA Games gold.
“How do I feel? Lots of emotion,” said coach Mark Torcaso. “There has been a lot of doubt surrounding some of our players, but what they’ve shown over the last couple of months has been incredible. They’ve earned their spot in a gold medal match. I couldn’t be prouder. They never stopped fighting in this competition, even after our loss in the first game.
“We were absolutely determined to reach the gold medal match after our defeat to Myanmar, and now we’re here.”
Thailand’s Chaba Kaew seemed poised to send the Filipinas home when Mongkoldee Jiraporn capitalized on a defensive error to put the hosts ahead, 1–0, in the 53rd minute.
But the Philippine side refused to give up.
With the clock ticking toward the 86th minute, the Filipinas earned a penalty after a Thai defender handled the ball inside the box. Jael-Marie Guy stepped up and calmly converted, sending the Filipino supporters into jubilation.
Neither team could break the tie during the 30-minute extra time, setting the stage for a nerve-wracking shootout.
With history on the line, Guy, Alessandra Carpio, Sara Eggesvik, and captain Hali Long converted their spot kicks, while Thailand managed only two through Jiraporn and Taneekarn Dangda.
After Eggesvik made it 3–2, Pluemjai Sontisawat’s attempt struck the post and went out. Long, marking her 100th international appearance, then calmly slotted her kick to make it 4–2. Finally, Orapin Waenngoen misfired for Thailand, sealing a historic comeback victory for the Filipinas.
The Philippines will now face Vietnam in the final this Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at the same venue. It will be the first time Torcaso leads the country in an international final, a moment filled with both vindication and anticipation.
“It’s very emotional because I know how tough the media can be on us and the players,” Torcaso said. “This is for all the fans at home in the Philippines, and for Filipinos around the world. I’m very happy, emotional, and excited that we made it to the gold medal match for these girls.”
Earlier, Vietnam claimed the first finals slot with a commanding 5–0 victory over Indonesia in their Final Four clash at the National Sports University IPE Stadium.
This sets up a highly anticipated rematch, as the Philippines previously handed Vietnam a rare 1–0 defeat on December 8, secured by Mallie Ramirez’s late winner during their group-stage encounter.
