A 4-2 defeat to Thailand failed to put a dent on the Philippines’ morale as the Malditas gun for a semifinal berth in Group A of the AFF Women’s Championship in Chonburi, Thailand.
The Filipinos led twice through Quinley Quezada with the last goal coming in the 66th minute before the Thais unleashed the brunt of their attack scoring three times in the last 20 minutes.
It was a gallant stand by the Filipinos, who were the decided underdogs against a regional powerhouse that just made its second appearance in the Women’s World Cup in France two months ago.
Despite the loss, the Filipinos remain in contention for a spot in the semifinals after winning their first two matches against Malaysia (3-0) and Timor Leste (7-0).
“I am really proud of the girls as we played hard,” said Malditas captain Patrice Impelido. “It was a fantastic game against the hosts and the players should really be proud of what they have displayed.”
A win over Singapore on Friday will put the Malditas in the semifinals opposite the top team in Group B, which will most likely be Vietnam.