By JONAS TERRADO
The national women’s football team looks to end its 31st Southeast Asian Games campaign with the country’s best finish in 37 years against Myanmar in a bronze medal match Saturday in Quang Ninh, Vietnam.
After being booted out by Thailand in the semifinals, the Filipinas try to secure a place in the podium against the Burmese side which kicks off 4 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Manila time) at Cam Pha Stadium.
It will be a rematch of the third place battle back in the 2019 edition held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium when the Philippines lost 2-1 after conceding both goals late in the second half.
The Philippines claimed its only bronze in 1985 which was a three-team single-round competition.
Coach Alen Stajcic’s side lost its quest to win a historic gold Wednesday after falling short against Thailand, 3-0, in the semis.
Stajcic acknowledged that the Filipinas, who a few months ago secured a historic World Cup berth with a semifinal finish in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, are still “new at this level” but added that “we’ll get better, we have no fear about that.”
Aside from the semifinal, the Philippines beat Cambodia, 5-0, before losing to host Vietnam, 2-1, in the group stage.
Myanmar was relegated to another fight for the bronze with the Philippines after a 1-0 defeat to Vietnam in the other semis pairing.
