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MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine women’s football team has exited this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup after a massive 6-0 defeat to Norway, ending its historic run on Sunday, July 30.
Earlier this week, a euphoric Philippines celebrated their win against New Zealand after striker Sarina Bolden scored the team’s first goal in the tournament. The passion and the dream, however, were not enough for a wall as daunting as Norway, ranked 12 worldwide.
But for the fans and even casual supporters of the Philippine women’s football team, there is hope despite the heartbreak.
Thank you for making us dream
There was no shortage of praises and heartfelt thank yous from social media users. The girls’ World Cup stint might have been cut short, and the dream not fully realized, but their performance was still exceptional.
“Thank you, Filipinas, for showing the strength of the diaspora in sports and for rekindling our national pride at a challenging time in our history,” @llongboan tweeted.
“Thank you for letting us hear the national anthem in the world stage,” @rararaluna said.
“Thank you Filipinas for making us dream.” @amtcfc tweeted a photo of a banner during the PH-Norway game.
“We are proud of you all and have no doubt that we will come back even stronger!” Jenjen Church said in a post.
“Definitely not the best result we expected but we made it to the World Cup and this is just the first of many to come,” @magellofenis said in a tweet.
Other social media users viewed the Filipinas’ performance as a marker that better things are yet to come for the football community. “You ladies have inspired a whole generation of Filipino football fans!” @sonny7i tweeted.
@degozaru tweeted a sobering reminder to new football fans, but added that so long as the national team continues to play and is shown support, they will perform better. “Encouragement now will make a huge difference later,” he said.
Most social media users also looked at the game as a learning curve for the Filipinas. “We’ll come back stronger on the next tourneys,” @justineangelaaa tweeted.
The loss against Norway fueled most fans to vie for a possible comeback at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027. Other users also pointed out that this could serve as an inspiration to start strong in the next Asian Games.
Social media users were also quick to shower praises on skipper Hali Long and goalie Olivia McDaniel, who turned emotional even before the start of the game.
“Secretary of National Defense outsold PNP-AFP.” @maroontito lauds the defense McDaniel showed during the PH-Norway game.
“This is a Hali Long stan account now,” @awesome_kat tweets after witnessing the duality of co-captain Long.
“It feels like you’re safeguarding the entire Philippines on that field,” @nazleur posted, noting the incredible saves McDaniel performed for the team.
Best fans in the world
Social media users also posted videos and photos of die hard and casual fans supporting the Filipinas, whether through watch parties at malls or on ground.
A horde of fans attended the game at Eden Park Stadium, cheering and waving the Philippine flag.
Members of the EUFC also participated in a watch party held at Tuguegarao and proudly cheered for the Filipinas.
– Rappler.com
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