Myanmar holds Filipinas to draw, ends PH’s Serenity Cup run

Juan Carlo Mercado

It wasn’t enough.

The Philippine women’s national football team saw its ASEAN Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup title defense end on Wednesday night, August 13, after a 1-1 draw against Myanmar in their final Group B match at Lạch Tray Stadium.

To reach the knockout stage, the Filipinas needed to win by at least three goals over their Southeast Asian rivals. Instead, Myanmar’s disciplined, rock-solid defense kept the defending champions in check.

Myanmar struck first in the 31st minute, breaking through the Philippine backline to take a 1-0 lead. The Filipinas struggled to find their rhythm, with Myanmar’s tight marking and organized backline making it difficult to create clear scoring chances.

The breakthrough finally came in the 71st minute when Nina Mathelus slotted home the equalizer, breathing life into the Filipinas’ campaign. 

Goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel then came up big in the dying minutes, pulling off crucial saves to preserve the deadlock.

But the single point from the draw wasn’t enough, as Myanmar and Australia’s U-23 squad advanced to the knockout round, leaving the Filipinas’ title defense cut short.