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Back to work for Filipinas after historic win vs. New Zealand

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Sarina Bolden (L) of the Philippines celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the FIFA Women" s="" World="" Cup="" group="" A="" soccer="" match="" between="" New="" Zealand="" and="" the="" Philippines="" in="" July="" Ritchie="" B.="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/07/26/072723_fwwc_pwnft_epa.jpg"/><figcaption>Sarina Bolden (L) of the Philippines celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup group A soccer match between New Zealand and the Philippines in Wellington, New Zealand, July 25, 2023. <em>Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>The Philippine women&#x27;s national football team is seeking even greater heights when they play European powerhouse Norway in their final Group A game in the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup on Sunday in Auckland, New Zealand.</p><p>They gave themselves just a few hours to celebrate their milestone victory over New Zealand on Tuesday, when they defeated the co-hosts 1-0 for their first ever World Cup win. Sarina Bolden scored the breakthrough goal in the 24th minute, and Olivia McDaniel pulled off some heroic saves late to preserve the clean sheet. </p><p>The stunning result -- the biggest upset of the tournament so far -- ensured that the Philippines still had a chance of advancing to the round-of-16 with a game left in their group round schedule. Not even an hour after their win, Filipinas coach Alen Stajcic was already assuring that the team will not rest on their laurels.</p><p>&quot;There is no celebration, to be honest. We&#x27;ll celebrate &#x27;til midnight,&quot; Stajcic said during the post-match press conference. &quot;Our team ethos has been the same for the last 18 months. Win, lose or draw, we celebrate or cry &#x27;til midnight, then the next day&#x27;s a new day.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/25/23/filipinas-stun-new-zealand-for-first-ever-world-cup-win">Football: Filipinas stun New Zealand for first-ever World Cup win</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/25/23/with-upset-of-new-zealand-filipinas-deliver-another-special-moment">With upset of New Zealand, Filipinas deliver another special moment</a></li></ul><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=2738297" 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><p>The Filipinas had the chance to see their family and friends after their victory, but it was back to work for them the next day with Stajcic stressing that &quot;the job&#x27;s not done.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s very important that we switch back into competition mode, and think about what we have to do in the last game to try and squeeze out of this group,&quot; he stressed.</p><p>For a few hours after the match, however, Stajcic and the Filipinas allowed themselves to dwell on the historic victory.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s just staggering and miraculous and unbelievable, and all (that) the players have done is just mind-blowing, really,&quot; Stajcic said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/25/23/for-olivia-mcdaniel-last-5-minutes-felt-like-20-years">For Olivia McDaniel, &#x27;last 5 minutes felt like 20 years&#x27;</a></li></ul><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Philippines manager Alen Stajcic (C) and Sofia Harrison celebrate after winning the FIFA Women" s="" World="" Cup="" group="" A="" soccer="" match="" between="" New="" Zealand="" and="" the="" Philippines="" in="" July="" Ritchie="" B.="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/07/26/072723_fwwc_phi-staj-x-sof_epa.jpg"/><figcaption>Philippines manager Alen Stajcic (C) and Sofia Harrison celebrate after winning the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup group A soccer match between New Zealand and the Philippines in Wellington, New Zealand, July 25, 2023. <em>Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE.</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>-- &#x27;Monumental task&#x27; --</strong></div><p>While the team is in great spirits after their victory, they are also under no illusions about the task ahead of them. Norway are the highest ranked team in Group A, at No. 12, and feature some of the best players in the world including former Ballon d&#x27;Or winner Ada Hegerberg and Barcelona superstar Caroline Graham Hansen.</p><p>However, Norway have also underperformed in the World Cup so far. They were beaten 1-0 by New Zealand in their first game, and held to a goalless draw by Switzerland in their second. Worryingly for coach Hege Riise, Hegerberg missed their game against the Swiss due to an injury, and Graham Hansen hinted at discontent after being left out of the starting lineup. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/25/23/norway-in-world-cup-peril-amid-hegerberg-injury-and-player-unrest">Norway in World Cup peril amid Hegerberg injury and player unrest</a></li></ul><p>Still, Stajcic and the Filipinas know the caliber of their opponents and are preparing accordingly. </p><p>&quot;We&#x27;re playing one of the best teams in the world in Norway with Ballon d&#x27;Or winners and players playing for Barcelona in Graham Hansen. So that&#x27;s such a monumental task for us to come up against them, and especially when it&#x27;s the third game in a week, or just over a week,&quot; said Stajcic.</p><p>The coach is confident that his players will respond well, pointing to the wealth of experience that they have collected over the past 18 months since he took over. Stajcic notes that since qualifying for the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup in February 2022, the Filipinas have played in two editions of the Southeast Asian Games as well as the AFF Women&#x27;s Championship. </p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s actually quite a bit of tournament experience in this team now over the last 18 months,&quot; he said. &quot;I think you&#x27;ve seen that maturity and growth [in] the way they talk and the way they carry themselves off the field, let alone on the field.&quot;</p><p>The players themselves were quick to put their result against New Zealand in perspective, with Player of the Match Olivia McDaniel making it clear that they &quot;have got much more work to do.&quot;</p><p>Angie Beard, the Filipina-Australian defender, said they will study their performance against New Zealand and then move forward. &quot;We look at our last game -- hopefully, [it&#x27;s] not our last game. Hopefully we make it out of the group,&quot; she said.</p><p>And Sara Eggesvik, whose father is Norwegian, touted their confidence and mentality. &quot;We see that we can create trouble for teams in this World Cup,&quot; she said. &quot;To be competitive, that was our goal. We&#x27;re going to the game with our heads down. We will keep fighting.&quot;</p><p>The Filipinas still have two days to prepare for Norway, knowing that another win will propel them to an appearance in the round-of-16. Norway, stuck at one point and yet to score a goal in this World Cup, can still advance as well should they beat the Philippines, and pending the result of the other match between New Zealand and Switzerland. </p><p>Sunday&#x27;s match will take place at the Eden Park in Auckland.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/26/23/grateful-filipinas-hail-wellington-crowd-it-felt-like-it-was-our-home">Grateful Filipinas hail Wellington crowd: &#x27;It felt like it was our home&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/26/23/california-attorney-general-rob-bonta-cheers-for-filipinas-in-nz">California attorney general and proud dad Rob Bonta cheers for Filipinas in NZ</a></li></ul><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=2732487" 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>

The Filipinas are seeking even greater heights when they play European powerhouse Norway in their final Group A game in the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Back to work for Filipinas after historic win vs. New Zealand

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Back to work for Filipinas after historic win vs. New Zealand

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 27, 2023 01:56 AM PHT

|

Updated July 28, 2023 01:56 PM PHT

Read More:

football

FIFA

FIFA Women's World Cup

Filipinas

PWNFT

Philippine women's national football team

Norway

Alen Stajcic

Sarina Bolden

sports

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