MANILA – The Philippines delivered its most dominant performance yet in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games women’s football tournament, crushing Malaysia, 6-0, Thursday night in Chonburi, Thailand — a decisive victory that not only propelled the Filipinas into the semifinals but also sealed a landmark moment for Philippine football, with both the women’s squad and the men’s U22 team advancing to the Final Four for the first time ever.
Alex Pino spearheaded the onslaught with a stunning hat trick, becoming the first Filipina to score three goals in a SEA Games match since Sarina Bolden in 2019. The Filipinas entered the pitch needing a high-margin win to survive the three-way Group B tiebreak, and they responded with an attacking masterclass that overwhelmed the Malaysians from start to finish.
After relentless pressing in the first half, the breakthrough came at the 45th minute when Pino pounced on a rebound to open the scoring. She followed it with second-half strikes in the 54th and 59th minutes — the latter a clinical penalty — before Jessica Cowart (67’), Arianna Isabella Markey (86’), and Anicka Castañeda joined the scoring spree to complete the six-goal avalanche.
The result, paired with Vietnam’s 2-0 win over Myanmar, forced a triple tie at the top of Group B. Goal difference became the decider: Vietnam (+8) topped the group, the Philippines (+6) took second, and Myanmar (+2) fell out of semifinal contention.
“We had momentum from the Vietnam game. I believed if we’re composed and in control in the final third we would score many goals as we did today,” said head coach Mark Torcaso, who now prepares the Filipinas for a semifinal showdown against host and Group A leader Thailand on Dec. 14.
“I’m very excited for this group of players — there’s a lot of very, very talented players for the future of this country,” he added, praising Pino’s milestone performance.
In basketball, the Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 men’s squad narrowly missed a podium finish after falling to Malaysia, 21-19, in the bronze medal match. Earlier, they absorbed a heartbreaking 21-20 loss to Singapore in the semifinals.
Fatigue and limited experience against seasoned regional squads were factors, said Gilas 3×3 coach Patrick Fran. “They’re really focusing on the sport — Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. For example, Malaysia regularly competes in the world tour, and Singapore consistently hosts 3×3 events,” Fran explained./PN
