CHONBURI – The Philippine women’s national football team carved another defining moment in Philippine sporting history on Sunday night, becoming the first-ever Filipino football squad to reach a Southeast Asian (SEA) Games final after a dramatic 1-1 draw and a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over five-time gold medalist Thailand at the Chonburi Stadium.
The breakthrough came as part of a historic SEA Games triple semifinals appearance by Philippine national teams in football and futsal, stamping clear the country’s growing footprint in the regional game.
Earlier, the Philippine men’s under-22 national football team swept Group C and advanced to the semifinals, where they will face Vietnam on Monday at 4:30 p.m. at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
The Philippine women’s national futsal team likewise secured a semifinal berth after a 3-1 win over Malaysia and will meet Vietnam on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Bangkokthonburi University Gym in Samut Prakan.
“This is a truly special and hard-earned moment for the Filipinas and Philippine football in general, one that reflects years of sacrifice, belief, and relentless work behind the scenes,” said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Anthony Gutierrez. “They stood their ground against one of Southeast Asia’s giants and showed, with courage and composure, that Filipino teams belong at this level and can rise to the occasion on the region’s biggest stage.”
Eighteen-year-old Jael Guy, a product of last year’s U17 national team, scored the equalizing goal via a penalty kick in the 87th minute after forcing Thai defender Panittha Jeeratanapavibul to commit a handball inside the penalty box from her left cross.
Meanwhile, team captain Hali Long, a nine-year veteran and World Cup finalist playing on her 100th cap for flag and country, sank the winning penalty kick in the shootout to tow her team to the gold medal match.
“It’s an unreal feeling that I’ve come this far. Watching this team grow, develop, change, shift, it’s something I wouldn’t trade for the world,” an emotional Long said after the game.
Against a seasoned Thai side buoyed by a home crowd, the Filipinas delivered a performance defined by resilience, composure, and collective belief. Head coach Mark Torcaso once again trusted a blend of emerging young talents and battle-hardened veterans, a formula that ultimately paid off in the most pressure-filled moments of the night.
The opening half saw both teams trade chances. In the tenth minute, Mallie Ramirez, scorer of two SEA Games goals so far, tested Thai goalkeeper Thichanan Sochuen with a close-range effort following a long throw from Long, but the attempt was saved. Alexa Pino later forced another stop with a header off an Angie Beard cross in the 29th minute.
Thailand threatened on the counter, with Natalie Ngosuwan missing high on a one-on-one in the 31st minute, while Beard and Pluemjai Sontisawat also had late first-half chances kept out.
The second half intensified in tempo and drama. Sara Eggesvik struck the crossbar on a fast break in the 49th minute, and moments later, a series of dangerous scrambles inside the Thai box failed to yield a breakthrough for the Filipinas.
Thailand drew first blood in the 53rd minute when Jiraporn Mongkoldee volleyed home from the left side following a lobbed pass by Sontisawat.
Thailand nearly doubled its lead on the counter in the 64th and 70th minutes, with efforts drifting wide and crashing off the bar, but the Filipinas refused to fold.
Substitute Jael Guy, an 18-year-old product of last year’s U-17 national team, announced her presence with a thunderous shot that struck the crossbar in the 81st minute.
Six minutes later, Guy provided the moment that changed everything. Her driven cross from the left forced Thai defender Panittha Jeeratanapavibul into a handball inside the box, earning a penalty in the 87th minute, which she calmly converted to level the match and send it to extra time.
“I just remember walking up to the spot and I could hear the Thai crowd trying to get into my head,” Guy said. “I visualized putting it in the back of the net, and then I just did.”
In extra time, late shots on goal by midfielder Jackie Sawicki and the final shot in the match by Beard were kept out by Sochuen. After 120 minutes, the match headed to penalties.
Guy, Alessandrea Carpio, Eggesvik all converted for the Philippines on the first three pens.
Thailand faltered on its third try, with Sontisawat hitting the left post. Long, playing on her 100th cap for flag and country, stepped up to seal the shootout and with Orapin Waenggowen skying her shot, the Filipinas’ place in the gold medal match was booked.
Torcaso was visibly emotional after the final whistle.
“There’s been a lot of doubt for some of our players, and what they’ve proven in the last couple of months has been incredible,” he said. “They never stopped fighting, even after our loss in the first game. This is for all the fans at home in the Philippines and Filipinos around the world.”
Vice-captain Sawicki echoed that sentiment, praising both the team’s mentality and the emergence of new leaders.
“We could have let that opening loss (versus Myanmar) define us, but instead we fought and kept fighting,” she said. “We belong here, and the younger players have stepped up to fill some very big shoes.”
For Guy, the moment carried deep personal meaning.
“This game was a way for me to represent my family and everyone who helped me get here,” she said. “We’re hungry, we have momentum, and we want the gold.”
The Filipinas now turn their focus to the final against defending champions Vietnam, viewing the match as both a chance for history and a crucial step in their broader preparation for upcoming continental competitions.
As Long made clear, the mission is not yet complete: “We have one last game to go. And we are going to end this tournament with a win.”
The Philippine Football Federation invites all supporters to rally behind the Filipinas as they compete for the gold medal against Vietnam on December 17, 8:30 p.m. (Philippine time) at the Chonburi Stadium.
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