The Philippine Women’s National Football Team, or PWNFT, suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Chinese Taipei in an international friendly on Tuesday night, June 4, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Homecourt Advantage
The match marked the Filipinas’ first official home appearance in three years and their first outing at home since winning the AFF Women’s Championship in 2022. A total of 3,312 fans were in attendance to witness the team’s long-awaited return.
Despite the support from the home crowd, the Filipinas couldn’t deliver a winning performance. Playing without key attacking players Sarina Bolden, Katrina Guillou, Quinley Quezada, and Bella Flanigan, the team struggled to find rhythm and create clear scoring opportunities. The absence of their usual offensive threats was evident, as the squad lacked the creativity and finishing power to challenge the visitors’ backline.
Matsunaga Capitalizes on Error to Give Chinese Taipei the Lead
The game’s only goal came in the 27th minute, when Chinese Taipei forward Saki Matsunaga took advantage of a defensive lapse.
A miscontrolled touch from Sara Eggesvik allowed Matsunaga to intercept the ball and slot it past goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, handing the visitors a 1-0 lead they would hold onto for the rest of the match.
Chinese Taipei nearly doubled their advantage early in the second half when Yu-Chin Chen found herself past McDaniel and staring at an open goal. However, she failed to capitalize, missing the opportunity to seal the game.
For most of the match, the Filipinas relied on long balls and set pieces to try and break through, but the Chinese Taipei defense was disciplined and composed, clearing away any dangerous attempts. Their goalkeeper, Yu-Ting Wang, was rarely tested.
Late Push Falls Short as Filipinas Show Grit
As the rain began to fall late in the second half, the Filipinas increased their urgency and pushed forward in search of an equalizer.
Although they applied pressure and showed more energy in the closing stretch, the final pass and finishing touch remained elusive.
Head coach Mark Torcaso remained proud of the effort, particularly in the latter part of the game, despite the outcome.
In the story of Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph. Here’s what the Head Coach has to say: “It’s always tough losing a game on any sport,” said Torcaso. “But you probably saw the character of what are girls are actually all about in the last 35 minutes. I can’t doubt the fight in these girls, and that’s something that we’ve been doing over the last six months, fighting and working hard for each other.”
“I’m extremely proud of them. Obviously, not the result that we would want because we want to win every single game. But it’s a good preparation game for the Asia Cup qualifiers, and that’s the one thing we are looking forward to,” he added.
Focus Now Shifts to AFC Qualifiers in Cambodia
The friendly wrapped up the team’s training camp in Manila and served as the final tune-up before the squad travels to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers. The Filipinas are scheduled to face Saudi Arabia on June 29, host Cambodia on July 2, and Hong Kong on July 5 at the Olympic Stadium.
This was the team’s second straight loss to Chinese Taipei, following another 1-0 defeat in a closed-door scrimmage last Friday.
