They say football never stops, and May has certainly brought more football for us Filipinos to enjoy. The girls in blue were swarming at the ball from the off, generating pressure early on and capitalizing 6 minutes in as Alexa Piño nodded in an Ava Villapando cross over three defenders and past goalkeeper Gadhiza Asnanza to open what would become a commanding lead for Satoru Mochizuki’s team. The girls in red woke up after that goal, fighting back and equalizing in the 12th minute via Claudia Scheunemann’s first international goal. Her looping volley off a miscleared free kick from the Indonesian half raised their spirits.
However, after 10 minutes of heated battle in the midfield, the gates opened right up for the Filipinas. Jael Guy latched onto a ball from the Philippine backline and deftly wound her way past two defenders for the lead, a gap that would only expand from here. Ariana Markey was being a handful from left-back and netted the Philippines’ third in the 29th minute from a swerving cross that ultimately bounced into the net, and Piño would make it 4 to the good in the 35th minute, taking a Markey cross across the box and whizzing it past Gadhiza’s outstretched hands.
The second half would slow down markedly for both sides, the heat and humidity getting to both sets of players, but the Filipinas would pile on two more goals. Second-half substitute Sophia Saludares was the quickest to a Garudas goal kick, driving up the pitch and assisting Natalie Collins in the 54th minute, making it 5 for the blue express. They would link up again 8 minutes later after a stretched Indonesian midfield left Saludares with enough space to pick Collins out again and put a bow on it by making it 6.
Despite her best efforts, late substitute Nina Mathelus could not extend the lead. However, her driving runs and wizardry with the ball should serve her well for the rest of the tournament, which continues on Thursday afternoon against a North Korea side that thrashed their peninsular rivals 7-0 in the early game.
Psychology graduate that’s been down the football rabbit hole since a kiddie camp in 1996. Once made a tryout for Manila Jeepney and a weekend consists of hand-wringing about Manchester United and Stallion Laguna. Can be found spouting opinions on X @FullyVaxxedJ
