PH U-14 girls reach AFC regional finals

They left the country with little fanfare. Now they’re a victory from coming home as champions. The Philippine girls Under-14 side moved on the cusp of the AFC Regional Championship following a dramatic 2-1 win over Burma (Myanmar) Saturday at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Joyce Samacio stabbed home the match-winner four minutes from time, claiming her third goal of the tournament to send the Filipinos to a finals showdown with Thailand.

The Thais topped Group B, before ousting defending champion Vietnam, 2-0, in the other semifinal duel.

The finals was scheduled to be played Sunday night. The girls of coach Let Dimzon fought back after conceding an early goal with Itsuko Bacatan firing the equalizer in the 14th minute.

The PH girls continued to defy expectations with a string of impressive performances highlighted by a 1-0 victory over Vietnam in the group stage.

After finishing fourth last year, the Filipinos actually swept all their group matches this time with wins over Singapore (6-0) and Cambodia (5-0).

Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta lauded the team for achieving a milestone.

“This is very timely, given that football is right now the center of attention worldwide with the ongoing Fifa World Cup in Brazil,” said Araneta. “Our U14 Girls’ excellent performance is an inspiring story that we can share to the global celebration of the sport.”