The Filipinas couldn't quite pull it together against the feisty Australia U23 team, taking their first loss in Group B of the MSIG Serenity Cup.
The Philippine women’s national football team suffered a setback in their MSIG Serenity Cup title defense, falling in Group B action against the Australia U23 team, 0-1, at the Viet Tri Stadium in Phu To, Vietnam on Sunday.
Settling to play on the defensive end in the first half proved costly for the Filipinas, as Alana Jancevski got past Olivia McDaniel with a low and strong curve ball in added time to leave the Philippines in catch-up mode for the second half.
The Filipinas shifted gears after the break, which paid dividends quickly as they got their first real chance at goal off of a header from Hali Long after connecting on a corner.
But Chloe Lincoln was quick with the defensive stop for Australia.
The Filipinas struggled to get things going offensively all throughout the 90 minutes as the young Matildas dictated possession. Opting for long ball opportunities, the Filipinas were unable to connect as much as they wanted to in the attacking third.
However, the Filipinas were able to continue to push for an equalizer even after Long’s header.
Malea Cesar had a good look on goal after connecting on a pass from Quinley Quezada inside the box at the 68th minute, but the shot didn’t have enough power to truly threaten the Australia defense.
Australia also had the chance to double their lead late in the match, but McDaniel produced two saves in a single sequence to keep things within striking distance for the defending champions.
The loss dropped the Filipinas to second place in Group B with three points, while Australia U23 also got on the board with their first three points. The Philippines are ahead in the standings due to superior goal difference.
Myanmar is currently ahead in the group thanks to their 2-1 win over the Aussies in the tournament opener last week. Myanmar also won over Timor Leste earlier, 3-nil, which puts them at a total of six points.