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Football: Stajcic hails Filipinas' 'courage, heart' in loss to Swiss

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Switzerland" s="" forward="" Ana="" Maria="" fights="" for="" the="" ball="" with="" defender="" Hali="" Long="" during="" FIFA="" World="" Cup="" soccer="" match="" between="" Switzerland="" and="" Philippines="" at="" Dunedin="" stadium="" in="" New="" July="" Michael="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/07/21/switzerland-philippines-epa-07212023.jpg"/><figcaption>Switzerland&#x27;s forward Ana Maria Crnogorcevic, left, fights for the ball with Philippines&#x27; defender Hali Long during the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup 2023 soccer match between Switzerland and Philippines at the Dunedin stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, July 21, 2023. <em>Michael Buholzer, EPA-EFE. </em></figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>Alen Stajcic was proud of the fight shown by the Filipinas in their FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup debut, where they battled a higher-ranked Switzerland team before eventually absorbing a 2-0 defeat. </p><p>The Philippine women&#x27;s national football team went toe-to-toe with the Swiss in the first 44 minutes and even put the ball into the back of the net in the 16th minute, although it was ruled offside. Switzerland was awarded a contentious penalty close to halftime, however, and Ramona Bachmann sent Olivia McDaniel the other way to put her team ahead.</p><p>Seraina Piubel then pounced on a rebound in the 64th minute after McDaniel had twice denied attempts by Ana Maria Crnogorčević.</p><p>&quot;For us to compete against a team like that is miraculous, really,&quot; Stajcic said of his team, noting that Switzerland featured several players from Europe&#x27;s top leagues, including Bachmann who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona&#x27;s Crnogorčević, and Arsenal&#x27;s Lia Wälti.</p><p>&quot;We have four or five starting players who don&#x27;t have a club, haven&#x27;t had a club in over a year,&quot; he said. </p><p>Against a side ranked 20th in the world by FIFA, the Filipinas displayed the type of resolute defending and the grit that has come to define them, and Stajcic could not fault his players for their effort.</p><p>&quot;You saw true spirit, true heart, a team that never gave up, that were proud of their jersey, proud of the flag, proud of the people they represent, and I think that&#x27;s the most important thing,&quot; said the coach.</p><p>&quot;To come to a World Cup for the first time in your history, in men&#x27;s or women&#x27;s football, and put on a performance like that and just show courage and heart is the first and most important thing,&quot; he added.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/21/23/football-filipinas-fall-to-swiss-in-first-ever-world-cup-match">Football: Filipinas fall to Swiss in first ever World Cup match</a></li></ul><div><strong> &#x27;Made their own luck&#x27;</strong></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Switzerland" s="" midfielder="" Seraina="" scores="" a="" goal="" during="" the="" FIFA="" World="" Cup="" soccer="" match="" between="" Switzerland="" and="" Philippines="" at="" Dunedin="" stadium="" in="" New="" July="" Michael="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/07/21/switzerland-midfielder-seraina-piubel-07212023.jpg"/><figcaption>Switzerland&#x27;s midfielder Seraina Piubel, right, scores a goal during the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup 2023 soccer match between Switzerland and Philippines at the Dunedin stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, July 21, 2023. <em>Michael Buholzer, EPA-EFE. </em></figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>The Filipinas could consider themselves unlucky not to have taken the lead in the 16th minute, as Katrina Guillou was clearly offside before she put the ball past the Swiss goal-keeper. In the 44th minute, Switzerland got a penalty when Jessika Cowart was judged to have fouled Coumba Sow inside the box after a VAR review. </p><p>Stajcic said it was not clear if Cowart&#x27;s action merited a penalty, but he acknowledged that the Swiss were the better side throughout the match. </p><p>&quot;That&#x27;s just a moment in the game. There&#x27;s hundreds of moments like that that happen in every game, and that one happened in the penalty box, and it just happens to be a critical moment in the game, and it went Switzerland&#x27;s way,&quot; he explained.</p><p>&quot;I thought they were the dominant team in that 10-minute period, and when you dominate, you make your own luck. They had their luck in that moment to get that decision, but they made their own luck with good play,&quot; Stajcic added. </p><p>Switzerland&#x27;s second goal also showed their quality, the coach said. Piubel found herself in the right place and the right time, and the Filipinas were not quick enough to the ball after McDaniel had already pulled off two fine saves. </p><p>&quot;It was a good chance they created, but they had a little bit of luck. The ball deflected around two or three times and fell their way. But again, they made their own luck through good play. It&#x27;s not a fluke,&quot; said Stajcic.</p><p>&quot;When you got players playing at the highest level, in some of those clubs that I mentioned, at some point they&#x27;re gonna do something good,&quot; he added.</p><p>There will be some positive takeaways for the Filipinas from the game, with Stajcic underscoring their need to maximize on the chances that they get. The Philippines had pressed hard for a goal in the final 20 minutes, with Sofia Harrison coming close in the 85th only to put her shot wide. </p><p>&quot;I thought we had maybe one or two half little chances as well. When you&#x27;re a team like us, you have to capitalize on those moments. The ball just didn&#x27;t bounce our way today,&quot; Stajcic said. </p><p>The Philippines will try to bounce back on July 25 against co-host New Zealand, who were 1-0 winners in their first match against Norway Thursday. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2714213" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div> </div>

Alen Stajcic was proud of the fight shown by the Filipinas in their FIFA Women's World Cup debut.

Football: Stajcic hails Filipinas' 'courage, heart' in loss to Swiss

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Football: Stajcic hails Filipinas' 'courage, heart' in loss to Swiss

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 21, 2023 07:03 PM PHT

|

Updated Jul 21, 2023 08:03 PM PHT

Read More:

football

FIFA

FIFA Women's World Cup

Philippine women's national football team

PWNFT

Filipinas

Switzerland

Alen Stajcic

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