In almost every milestone, the Filipinas had to go through the nerve-wracking pressure of a penalty shootout en route to glorious victories, including two to win SEA Games 2025 gold.
BANGKOK — If there’s a team that loves thrilling victories, it’s the Filipinas.
En route to their historic gold medal at the SEA Games 2025 in Chonburi, the Filipinas survived two penalty shootouts in the medal rounds to beat host Thailand and four-time defending champion Vietnam.
While some may shy away from the spotlight of high-pressure shots, the Filipinas have thrived in the sudden death situation.
From their World Cup berth-clinching win against Chinese Taipei at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup to the historic gold medal in Thailand, penalty shootouts have become the Philippines’ bread and butter.
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The success comes down to how the Filipinas prepare for anything — not just the 90 minutes, but 30 minutes of extra time and the dreaded penalty shootouts.
For skipper Hali Long, it didn’t matter who was taking the penalties, whether it be the most experienced player on the team, or the youngster who only has a handful of caps.
There’s really no doubt about the Filipinas’ skills to come out on top.
“Penalties? We practiced them enough. When you watch one of the youngest girls on the team go up and take one in game time, take one after overtime, I mean, honestly, Jael [Guy] calms me so much… When she sinks it every single time, I mean, it just calms me. This is what we asked for,” Long told POC Media.
“If this is what it takes to win gold, we're going to do it. We're going to step up to the plate. We're going to take every penalty until how many people take them again and again and again.”
‘The job needs to be done’
On the other end of the PK situation are, of course, the goalkeepers.
For the Filipinas’ star goalie Olivia McDaniel, there’s really nothing she can do but play her part when the going gets tough.
Though she and the rest of the team would’ve liked to finish things on a less cardiac note, extensions don’t necessarily mean delays for the Filipinas.
Rather, it just means they have to do a little more to secure a win.
McDaniel, whose save on the sixth penalty kick from Vietnam finally clinched gold for the country, accepted her fate immediately and locked in.
“Honestly, I didn't want to do it again, but I knew we all had a part to play and we knew at the end of the day, the job needs to be done. And so we just rallied behind each other and we knew there was nothing else but the gold,” said McDaniel.
“I think that's really what brought us to this gold medal and brought us to the end is that mentality of not stopping and not quitting,” she added.
True-blooded Warriors
Whether it be in penalties or the whole 90 minutes of regulation, the Filipinas are ready to go into battle.
More than getting the gold and gaining tremendous experience in preparation for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the Filipinas have shown something that is patented to every Philippine team athlete: “puso.”
“The biggest pleasing thing for me with this competition was we showed that we've got a group of players here, both experienced and young players, that are ready to fight for our country. Right from the start of a game to the end of a game, even to penalty shootouts,” said head coach Mark Torcaso.
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“We had three 18-year-olds taking penalties and they did not look at all confident. They looked so confident and comfortable. That's the enjoyment about it but that's what we'll do from now in preparation for the Asian Cup.”
The Filipinas are the first Philippine team, whether men’s or women’s to finish with the gold medal in the SEA Games. Apart from the gold, the Filipinas also have two bronze medals — including the more recent one in the 2022 SEA Games in Vietnam.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.