THE Philippine Women’s Football Team saw their title defense in the 2025 ASEAN MSIG Serenity Cup come to an early close, crashing out in the group stage following a 1-1 draw with Myanmar on Wednesday night.
Playing at Lạch Tray Stadium, the Filipinas needed a win—ideally by a wide margin—to secure a place in the semifinals. However, they ended the match with just a single point after a hard-fought battle.
With that result, Myanmar advanced from Group B with seven points from two wins and a draw against the Philippines, while Australia’s Under-23 side followed closely behind with six points.
A Narrow Miss
Things got off to a tough start for the Filipinas after 33 minutes, when goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel conceded a penalty for clipping Win Theingi Tun in the box. The Myanmar captain converted from the spot to give her team a 1-0 lead.
The second half brought hope for the Philippines. Young forward Adelaide Wyrzynski delivered a perfect cross into the area, which Nina Mathelus met with her left foot to level the score.
The Filipinas pressed hard for a second goal, but Myanmar’s backline held firm. Chandler McDaniel, Mathelus, and team captain Hali Long each had efforts, but none were able to break the deadlock.
Late in the game, McDaniel was tested again, twice denying Yoon Wadi Hlaing on a dangerous breakaway to preserve the draw.
The Philippines had a final opportunity with a corner in the dying minutes, but Wyrzynski’s shot from a Chandler McDaniel delivery narrowly missed the target, sealing the 1-1 result.
Proud Effort from a Young Squad
The Philippines came into Vietnam with a reshaped lineup compared to the squad that won the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship, as several veterans were unavailable due to injuries or club commitments.
They opened strong with a dominant 7-0 win over Timor Leste, but a 1-0 defeat to Australia in their next outing meant they had to beat Myanmar to stay in contention.
Despite the early exit, head coach Mark Torcaso pointed to silver linings, noting the young squad held their own under pressure. As defending champions, the Filipinas entered the MSIG Serenity Cup with high expectations, but fielded a largely new and youthful lineup.
“We obviously came into this competition with some younger players, some inexperienced players. And in the end one of those young players actually scored a goal for us,” Torcaso said in the press conference on Wednesday.
“So this was a really good learning curve for all of us, our team, our coaches to see some of our younger players play,” he went on to explain.
Despite fielding a different lineup for this campaign, Torcaso praised the young players for rising to the occasion. Aware of the pressure, the newcomers still delivered a brave and commendable performance.
“I’m extremely proud of every one of those girls and I know that our entire country will be proud of them. We had a number of them score goals, we had a number of them play a lot of minutes,” Torcaso said.
“And as a head coach for the national team, it’s a very important thing for me to see that. It makes me make good decisions for these players for Asian Cup next year,” he added.
With the MSIG Serenity Cup campaign now behind them, the Filipinas will shift their attention to the Southeast Asian Games in December and the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in March.
