AUCKLAND — Norway’s hat-trick hero Sophie Roman Haug was full of praise for the Philippine Women’s National Football Team after its elimination from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup at the Eden Park Stadium here.
She played a big role in ending the Filipinas’ dream of entering the knockout round but made it a point to congratulate the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship winners for a fantastic debut on the world stage.
“The Philippines have done well in the previous games and in the tournament.
“They have shown that they have a lot of good players and they are making it tough for the opposite teams,” said the AS Roma star.
Roman Haug opened the floodgates for the Norwegians with two quality goals in the sixth and 22nd minutes of the match. She then closed the resounding win for Norway by completing her fine display with a header in the 90+5th minute.
Pressure was high for Norway entering the match as they needed to not only win but also attain a high margin of victory to make it to the round of 16. The Norwegians ultimately finished in second place in Group A, and they will face Spain or Japan in their next match.
“We went into this game knowing that we had to score a lot of goals and we wanted to put a lot of pressure in the Philippines’ box, and we did,” said the 5-foot-10 forward.
“I’m a striker that likes the balls coming into the box. When there were a lot of good balls, I was just trying to be in the right places.”
It was unfortunate that this was how the Filipinas’ campaign ended. However, Roman Haug’s class on and off the pitch can provide a template for the current and future Filipinas who represent the country in international competitions down the line.
