Guillou had several bright moments during the Filipinas' opening match in the tournament.
The Philippine women’s national football team made their historic FIFA Women’s World Cup debut on Friday—the first time ever for the country.
And it was not just the fans who got emotional upon seeing the Filipinas on the pitch. The players themselves were naturally awed by the moment 30 or so years in the making.
That moment was of the Filipinas on the pitch, in front of thousands of fans, and the "Lupang Hinirang" playing for the first time ever in a World Cup, which is something that has never happened before, be it in the men's game or on the distaff side of things.
Midfielder Katrina Guillou was one of those who relished the magnitude of that historic moment—so much that she couldn't help but be emotional about it.
“If you ask some of my teammates, I was ready to maybe cry, shed a tear even, during the warm-up just to see how far we've come, especially in my journey,” Guillou admitted in a post-match interview shared by DSZR Sports Radio’s Aaron Bayato.
The outpouring of emotion is understandable. Guillou has been with the Filipinas for about 18 months already, and she has lived through the team's ups and downs leading up to their historic debut in the FIFA Women's World Cup. It also demonstrates just how much this FIFA Women's World Cup means to these history makers.
While the national team wasn’t able to win its opening match versus Switzerland, Guillou, who found the back of the net early one but was ruled offside, knows that the Filipinas' campaign is far from over.
“Unfortunately, we weren't able to bring home the win, but we still have two more group stage games. So, hopefully, we can pick it up from there,” said Guillou.
The 29-year-old midfielder and the rest of the Filipinas will be looking to score their first win in the FIFA Women's World Cup come July 25 when they face New Zealand.
(MDB)