By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The Philippine national women’s football team opened its AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign on a high note, blanking Saudi Arabia, 3-0, at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sunday, June 29.
The Filipinas wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Jaclyn Sawicki, a midfielder from British Columbia, Canada, scoring the opening goal in the 16th minute off a well-placed pass from Meryll Serrano.
Serrano continued to fuel the offense despite Saudi Arabia’s tight defense, netting the team’s second goal in the 55th minute to give the Nationals a comfortable cushion.
Fil-Am teen standout Alexa Pino put the match out of reach with a goal in the 81st minute, sealing the Filipinas’ commanding win in their tournament debut.
With the victory, the Filipinas claimed the top spot in Group G with three points.
They are set to face host Cambodia on Wednesday, July 2, followed by Hong Kong on Friday, July 5.
Only the top team in each group will advance to the next phase, with the Filipinas eyeing a spot in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia next year.
