Ultimately, the stars aligned for the Filipinas in their quest to reach the semifinals of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
Alexa Pino stole the spotlight, scoring a hat trick to lead the Philippines to a commanding 6-0 victory over Malaysia on Thursday at the IPE Chonburi Stadium, securing a spot in the semifinals.
The 18-year-old forward opened the scoring in the 45th minute, doubled the lead in the 53rd, and converted a penalty in the 69th minute.
Defender Jessika Cowart made it 3-0 in the 66th minute, while Ari Markey extended the advantage to 5-0 in the 86th minute.
Former De La Salle University midfielder Anicka Castañeda completed the rout with a long-range strike in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The win propelled the Philippines to second place in Group B with six points and a +6 goal difference.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s 2-0 triumph over Myanmar allowed the defending champions to advance as the group’s top seed, also with six points but a +8 goal difference.
The Filipinas will face Thailand at the Chonburi Stadium this Sunday at 5 p.m. (Manila time) for a spot in the final.
Notably, the Philippines’ entry into the semifinals marks the first time in this millennium that the country has reached the final four in both the men’s and women’s football tournaments at the SEA Games.
