MANILA – The Philippine women’s national football team outlasted defending champion Vietnam in a tense penalty shootout, 6–5, to claim their first-ever SEA Games gold medal on Wednesday evening at the Chonburi Daikin Stadium in Thailand.
After a scoreless draw through regulation and extra time, the championship was decided from the spot, where the Filipinas held their nerve to reach the summit of Southeast Asian football.
Jael-Marie Guy, Alexa Pino, Hali Long, Angie Beard, Ariana Markey, and Jackie Sawiscki all converted their penalty kicks to keep the Philippines perfect in the shootout.
Goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel emerged as the hero in the decisive moment, diving the right way to save Vietnam’s sixth penalty kick, sealing a historic victory that ended decades of frustration for Philippine football.
For years, a football gold medal in the SEA Games was considered beyond reach for the country. But the Filipinas’ determined run in the tournament changed that narrative.
Team captain Long, the longest-tenured Filipinas player with 101 international caps, said the team’s hunger served as a key to their gold medal win against the 2023 winners.
“We’re hungry, we want it,” Long said. “It’s a first-time feeling for us, and a familiar feeling for Vietnam.”
Vietnam entered the final eager to avenge a 1–0 loss to the Philippines in Group A, but the Filipinas matched them stride for stride, showing discipline at the back and composure under pressure when it mattered most.
The gold-medal triumph capped a strong tournament run for the Filipinas, who rode momentum from a dramatic semifinal victory over Thailand, also decided on penalties after a 1–1 draw in 120 minutes.
With McDaniel’s final save, the Philippines officially crowned itself the new queens of SEA Games women’s football, marking a breakthrough moment for the sport and a milestone that will stand as one of the country’s finest achievements on the regional stage./PN
