The Philippines scored its very first FIFA World Cup win in its sporting history after defeating the New Zealand Football Ferns 1-0 in the co-host's own capital city of Wellington Tuesday (July 25) after suffering a defeat from the Swiss in their opening match last week. The 46th-ranked country is also the first among the World Cup debutantes to win a game in the tournament.
Filipina striker Sarina Bolden made a head nudge to score the winning goal for the side in the 24th minute of the game. The Football Ferns did not succeed in the evening the score after a VAR ruled out Jacqui Hand's shot in the 68th minute as an offside.
"That little taste of what it might feel like when we do score our first goal [makes] it even hungrier [for us] to get it," Bolden told the Philippine Daily Inquirer following her team's defeat against Switzerland.
While the Southeast Asian archipelago nation is celebrating the win, Filipinas head coach Alen Stajcic told reporters the squad would need to prepare for their final group game against the Norwegian Grasshoppers.
"It was very emotional out on the pitch," Stajcic said, telling reporters the players and staff were shedding tears of joy. "To think that we've done it in our second match in our first World Cup... the unity and work rate and heart from the team was special. We had some luck but we also earned our luck.
Tuesday's matches also saw fellow Group A teams Switzerland and Norway settle with a scoreless draw.
Meanwhile, Colombia defeated South Korea 2-0 in Group H, with Catalina Usme scoring a penalty kick in the 30th minute and Linda Caicedo making the second goal in minute 39. The match also made history as South Korean Taeguk Casey Phair became the youngest ever player to appear in the World Cup, being just 16 years and 26 days old in her debut match. Phair beats the record of Nigeria's Ifeanyi Chiejine, who was 16 years and 34 days old in her first Women's World Cup match in 1999.
Underdog Teams Over-delivering
A Reuters report noticed a surge of underdogs in this year's Women's World Cup exceeding the expectations of sports analysts and football fans alike after the Filipinas win on Tuesday.
Unlike the previous World Cups, many women's teams like Jamaica, Haiti, and Ireland have pushed the envelope in tiring out powerhouses like France, England, and Australia in their respective matches, even if it meant a defeat or a draw.
In particular, the match between the Bleues and the Reggae Girlz yielded a scoreless draw, a far cry from the French 12-1 victory in 2019.
Jamaican team coach Lorne Donaldson noticed the roster of players for this year's World Cup would give the defending champions, the US Women's Soccer Team, a run for their money this time. "I think the smaller nations are jumping on that bandwagon and saying 'we can do this too,'" Donaldson added.
Read Also: HNGN's Coverage of the FIFA Women's World Cup
The Game So Far
This is the current standing of the teams in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup:
Group A: The Swiss lead Group A, with New Zealand and the Philippines tied in second place. Norway needs to defeat the Filipinas in their July 30 match to not get eliminated.
Group B: Australia dominates Group B with 3 points after their winning game against Ireland, which is currently at the bottom of the squads in the group, and the draw between the Canadians and the Nigerians. Canada and the Girls in Green are set to face each other on July 26, while the Matildas and Super Falcons face off on July 27.
Group C: Nadeshiko Japan tops Group C after their 5-0 win against Zambia, while Spain is in second place after winning against the Costa Rican Ticas 3-0. A double-header for Group C is upcoming on July 26 with Japan vs. Costa Rica and Spain vs. Zambia.
Group D: Both Denmark and England scored victories in their first Group D matches against China and Haiti, respectively, and will face each other off on July 28, the same day as the match between the Steel Roses and the Grenadiers.
Group E: It was payback time for the United States after defeating Vietnam 3-0 and dominating Group E, while the Netherlands scored a 1-0 win against Portugal. The Stars and Stripes will face the Orange Lionesses while the Quinas settle for the Diamond Girls. Both matches will happen on July 27.
Group F: Brazil was the only team in Group F to score an outright win after beating Panama 4-0. The match between France and Jamaica ended in a scoreless draw. The Canaries will face Les Bleues and the Canaleras play against the Reggae Girlz on a July 29 double-header.
Group G: Sweden and Italy won their matches against South Africa (2-1) and Argentina (1-0), respectively. The pressure is on for the White and Sky-Blues to match the feat of their male counterparts in 2022 as they face the Banyanas on July 28, while the Blågults face the Azzurres the next day (July 29).
Group H: Germany demolished Morocco in their first game 6-0, while Colombia won a 2-0 game against South Korea. A Group H double-header (Taegeuks vs. Atlas Lionesses; Frauenteam vs. Cafeteras) will happen on July 30.
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