Filipinas ‘Show No Mercy’, but score only one vs HK

TheMonitorMindanaoToday.com | Filipinas ‘Show No Mercy’, but score only one vs HK

By: Jack Biantan

*Advance to the AFC Asian Cup next year in Australia.

CAGAYAN DE ORO City, Misamis Oriental — The Philippine Women’s National Team, Filipinas, made true to their promise to ‘Show No Mercy’ against Hong Kong in the AFC Women’s Qualification Cup.

They completely dominated Hong Kong from start to finish, but luck was not on their side as they scored only one goal at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Striker Chandler Mac Daniel scored the lone goal of the Filipinas in the 4th minute to ensure their qualification to the main AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia next year.

The Asian Cup will be the qualification tournament for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil in 2027.

Alex Pino, the 18-year-old Filipina phenom from the USA, continued her brilliance in the midfield as she dished a perfect pass to the rushing MacDaniel at the center.

MacDaniel smoothly kicked the ball to the back of the net in the 4th minute to record her second goal of the tournament.

“The team had a goal, and it was to win all three games. We did the best we absolutely could,” said Chandler McDaniel during the post-game interviews.

“I think that’s exactly what our team did. You know, three games in six days is always hard, but we showed a lot of heart. We came out and showed that you know we deserve to go back to qualifiers again this year,” she added, before expressing her gratitude to the Filipinos who supported them despite being on foreign soil.

“Always, the fans are so supportive,” she also said. “We love seeing all of our Filipinas out to support us, and we’re just so happy we were able to give them the three wins and give them the result that they deserved,” she said.

The Filipinas attacked early as Pino and Meryll Serrano pushed to score more goals after MacDaniel’s early goal, keeping Hong Kong’s goalkeeper Leung Wai Nga busy.

MacDaniel almost added one more goal to her two-goal tournament haul when she received a pass from her goalkeeper sister Olivia MacDaniel in the 17th minute.

Her powerful shot, however, went above the crossbar and that gave the HK goalkeeper a sigh of relief.
Pino also had a chance to add another goal in the 18th minute with a left-footed blast just outside the penalty box. Her shot, however, went off target.

Hong Kong’s only chance to equalize was when veteran midfielder Cheung Wai Ki found herself alone on top of the penalty box with the Filipinas goalkeeper Olivia MacDaniel.

She, however, failed to equalize when Olivia’s quick hands pushed her shot to the right side of the right post.

Striker Merylle Serrano, who scored three tournament goals, had several chances of scoring, including a header from a cross from left winger Sofia Nicole Wunsch. Her header, however, went above the crossbar.

She also had a chance of scoring inside the penalty box, but her shirt was pulled back by a Hong Kong defender.
That shirt-pulling stirred lots of protest from the Filipinas bench, including a raging yell from coach Mark Torcaso.

His rage, however, fell on deaf ears as the Filipinas failed to get a penalty or even the Hong Kong defender getting a card.

Was there no video review in Cambodia? If there was, the Hong Kong defender could have earned an automatic red card for stopping a sure goal-scoring chance.

The Filipinas could have earned a penalty, which could have extended the lead to two goals.

The Filipinas could have scored more goals and completed their ’Show No Mercy’ mission in their third match.

Despite their lone goal production, the Filipinas have been successful, and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) under President John Gutierrez, coach Torcaso, and the Philippine football community are all grinning from ear to ear and just waiting for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.

The Australian trip will be the third successive trip of the Filipinas to the Asian Women’s Cup.

That will be a very tough tournament where they will face the big, bad girls of early qualifiers China, South Korea, Japan, and host Australia.

Let us enjoy the girl’s success and let them celebrate.
The 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup will be held in different cities across Australia from March 1-21.
The matches will be played in Stadium Australia in Sydney, New South Wales, Western Sydney Stadium, New South Wales, Gold Coast Stadium, Queensland, Perth Rectangular Stadium, in Perth, and Perth Stadium, also in Perth. (jackbiantantambok@gmail.com)

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