Team captain Hali Long was among five Filipinas who found the back of the net in a seven-goal romp of Timor-Leste during a dominant ASEAN Women's MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 opener.
By the time Hali Long headed in the Philippines’ third goal in the ninth minute, the Filipinas were already in full control.
But for the longtime captain, dominance wasn’t enough — it was about setting a tone.
“Overall, I think it was very good. We got the goals that we wanted to get, and we could’ve definitely scored more [goals],” Long said in aftermath of the Philippines’ 7-0 thrashing of Timor-Leste to start their ASEAN Women's MSIG Serenity Cup title defense in Vietnam.
Long’s early goal off a Chandler McDaniel corner in the ninth minute was just one piece of a relentless offensive onslaught from the ruthless Filipinas squad throughout the one-sided affair.
Aaliyah Schinaman, making her debut for the Philippines, opened the floodgates with a left-footed strike within the first two minutes of the match before midfielder Quinley Quezada scored on a rebound five minutes later.
Quezada then completed a brace in just 37 minutes as the Philippines entered halftime in complete control, leading 4-0.
Dionesa Tolentin lit up the second half with two goals in a seven-minute stretch, earning Player of the Match honors while Adelaide Wyrzynski iced the win with a 75th-minute strike.
[ALSO READ: Filipinas dismantle Timor-Leste with 7-0 start at ASEAN Women's MSIG Serenity Cup 2025]
With their win, the Philippines matched Thailand’s 7-0 defeat of Indonesia for the biggest margin in the tournament so far and, more importantly, moved to the top of Group A alongside Myanmar, who pulled off a 2-1 upset over Australia’s U-23 team.
Now, all eyes turn to Sunday, August 10, when the Filipinas face that same Aussie squad in what could be a pivotal match.
[ALSO READ: SCHEDULE, RESULTS | Filipinas eye title defense at 2025 ASEAN Women's MSIG Serenity Cup]
“We don’t take any team lightly. We don’t know which way this group is going to go. Looking forward to watching that game and seeing what results we can pull out in the next one,” Long bared.