Following a historic 1-0 win over host New Zealand, Filipinas star Sarina Bolden is now filled with the belief that her team can achieve anything in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
According to Bolden, who holds the distinction of being the first Philippine player to score on the FIFA World Cup stage, the upset win over the Kiwis has provided them with the motivation to secure further victories in the tournament.
Next up for the national women’s football team, led by coach Alen Stajcic, is a match against 12th-ranked Norway on Sunday afternoon (Philippine time) at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.
Should the Filipinas secure an upset victory against the Norway team, it would enable them to clinch the second spot in Group A and advance to the round-of-16 of the competition, scheduled to take place next week.
“Absolutely. I think anything is possible for us, for sure,” said the 27-year-old forward, whose game-winning penalty kick in January 2022 clinched the FIFA World Cup spot for the Filipinas.
“It’s a lot of feelings right now. We put a lot of work into this and almost two years of sacrifice, commitment, dedication, work. Been a lot of ups, been a lot of downs to be able to achieve this goal of ours, to get a win, to score,” she added.
Since securing qualification early last year, the Filipinas have established training camps in Sydney, Australia, as well as in Auckland and Wellington, while actively participating in several international tournaments.
Bolden also acknowledged the Filipinas’ goalkeeper, Olivia McDaniel, for her outstanding saves that played a crucial role in solidifying their narrow victory.
“It’s just a lot of feelings, but it takes everyone; it takes a village. And without Livs (Olivia McDaniel) for the stops at the end, the goal doesn’t matter. It really took everyone; I’m just so happy,” Bolden said.
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