Olivia McDaniel sets focus on Filipinas’ next matches at Women’s World Cup

July 23, 2023 Times Europe

The Philippines’ Olivia McDaniel during a match against Switzerland at the Fifa Women’s World Cup. Photo from Philippine Women’s National Football Team

AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Olivia McDaniel urged herself and the Philippine women’s football team to no longer get caught up too much on the emotions of finally having to play their first Fifa Women’s World Cup match.

“The first game was really exciting, a lot of emotion going on, but we have to move on to the next one,” McDaniel said after the Filipinas’ training session Sunday at Olympic Park here.

“We can’t stay on the first game too long because we still have two matches to go. And we have to stay focused and ready to keep going, and hopefully we can do well to get out of the group,” added McDaniel, who two days ago had a solid showing despite a 2-0 loss to Switzerland.

The Filipinas face co-host New Zealand on Tuesday in Wellington in a game seen as the debutants’ best chance of getting a favorable result.

Norway will be the last on the Filipinas schedule on July 30 at Eden Park in this city.

McDaniel’s saves in the early part of the game kept the Filipinas at even terms with the fancied side until Jessika Cowart was ruled through VAR of fouling Coumba Sow.

That set the stage for Ramona Bachmann to convert from the spot and put the Swiss in front. A second goal came in the 64th as McDaniel’s two impressive saves were followed by a rebound by Seraina Piubel.

“We tried our best to keep them out of the net, keep them from doing what they do for the most part,” she said.

“We tried our best to do that, but Bachmann had an amazing PK. We then had a scuffle around the box. But at the end of the day, we’ll learn from it, we’ll grow from it and just become better forward.”

Nonetheless, McDaniel is glad to be given the chance to face quality players like Bachmann, captain Lia Walti and Anna-Maria Crnogorcevic.

“Those girls are Champions League players,” said the hero of the Filipinas’ World Cup-clinching win over Chinese-Taipei in the 2022 Asian Cup quarterfinals. “It’s incredible to push yourself against amazing talents and see where you are, personally, and how you are as a team.”