July 25, (THEWILL) – Sarina Bolden scored the winning goal as the Philippines defeated co-hosts New Zealand 1-0 in their Women’s World Cup Group A match on Tuesday.
This stunning victory, in their second-ever game at a World Cup, spoiled New Zealand’s celebrations and kept the Philippines’ hopes of progressing in the tournament alive.
New Zealand dominated possession and had several goalscoring opportunities but were unable to convert them. In the 24th minute, Bolden scored the Philippines’ first-ever World Cup goal when she headed the ball directly at New Zealand keeper Victoria Esson, only for Esson to fumble it into the net. In the 68th minute, Jacqueline Hand thought she had levelled the scores but a VAR review led to an offside call.
Despite their efforts, the co-hosts were unable to find an equaliser and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for the Philippines. It brings them level on points with New Zealand in third place ahead of the other group match between Switzerland and Norway on Tuesday.
The Philippines will play their final Group A match against 1995 winners Norway on Sunday, while New Zealand will face Switzerland. This unexpected result adds an exciting twist to the group stage and keeps all four teams in contention for a spot in the last 16.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
