The Philippine women's national football team celebrates after beating Thailand in the semifinal in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, December 14, 2025 in Chonburi. PFF-PWNFT via POC Media
The Philippine women's national football team is determined to finish a tournament to remember with a gold medal.
For the first time in their history, the Filipinas advanced to the final of women's football in the Southeast Asian Games after a heart-stopping penalty shootout win against host Thailand on Sunday night.
Deadlocked at 1-1 after 120 minutes, Thailand and the Philippines figured in a shootout, which the Filipinas won 4-2 after the last two Thai players shanked their attempts.
"There's been a lot of doubt for some of our players and what they've been able to prove in the last couple of months and they've got themselves into a gold medal match and I couldn't be prouder," said head coach Mark Torcaso after the famous victory.
READ: Filipinas beat Thailand in thriller, to play for gold medal
Up next for the Filipinas is a showdown against Vietnam on Wednesday night, with a gold medal on the line.
Kick off is at 8:30 p.m. (Manila time) at the Chonburi Daikin Stadium.
They have already beaten Vietnam in the group stage, 1-0, but the Filipinas are well aware that beating the regional powerhouse for a second time won't be easy.
"I'm so glad we're in this position and it's going to be tough," said goal-keeper Olivia McDaniel.
"Beating a team we've already beat in the same tournament is really, really difficult, but I have no doubt that the team will come together and we'll get the win," she added.
Skipper Hali Long, who won her 100th cap against Thailand, is banking on the team's "hunger" against the defending champions.
"We're not tired, we're hungry, we want it," she stressed. "It's a first time feeling for us, and a familiar feeling for Vietnam."
READ: Hali Long marks 100th cap with another historic win for Filipinas
HISTORIC CAMPAIGN
It has already been a historic campaign for the Filipinas, who had to fight their way back into contention after a 1-2 loss to Myanmar in their first game.
But they stunned Vietnam at the death when they played in the group stage, with rising star Mallie Ramirez scoring in extra time to breathe new life into their hopes of making the semifinals.
Against Malaysia, another young player in Alexa Pino stepped up, scoring a hat-trick in what turned out to be a 6-0 victory.
They were on the back foot against Thailand in the semifinals, with the hosts going ahead 1-0 in the 53rd minute. But a handball inside the box in the closing minutes revived the Philippines, and Jael Guy stepped up to bury the equalizer.
"I just remember walking up to the spot and, you know, I could hear the Thailand crowd trying to get into my head," said Guy. "And obviously that's a little nerve-wracking, but I just visualized putting it in the back of the net and then I just did."
"They haven't stopped fighting this whole competition," Torcaso said of his squad. "Even after a loss in the first game, we were absolutely determined to make sure we made the gold medal match after that loss against Myanmar and we're here now and as I said, it's very emotional."
Regardless of the result on Wednesday, this is already the Filipinas' best result in the SEA Games, having reached a new milestone in 2021 when they won bronze in Hanoi.
But Long makes it clear that they are eyeing the top of the podium.
"Our goal was to win our final game, and we plan to do that," the Filipinas captain said.