Action between the Philippines and Australia in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 at the Perth Stadium, March 1, 2026 in Perth, Australia. PFF-PWNFT
MANILA -- The Philippine women's national football team exited Perth Stadium with their heads held high on Sunday, despite absorbing a narrow 1-0 defeat to host nation Australia in their first match of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026.
Australia captain Sam Kerr scored the marginal goal in the 14th minute, but the Filipinas frustrated them for most of the match with Olivia McDaniel coming up with several key stops.
McDaniel acknowledged that they were disappointed to come away with the loss but took pride in their effort against the host nation, which entered the tournament ranked 15th in the world.
"As well as I think we did, I think we're still a bit unhappy with the result. I mean, a loss is a loss and we wanted to come away with something, whether it be a tie or a win," the veteran goal-keeper said.
"So we're not happy with that, but I'm just really proud of all the hard work that the girls put in. I mean, the last 45 [minutes], we didn't concede and that's all I care about," she added.
READ: Gritty Filipinas fall to Australia in Women's Asian Cup opener
The Matildas had plenty of chances in the second half, but McDaniel was up to the task each time. In all, Australia had 15 shots, six of which were on target.
But only Kerr's header in the early goings found the back of the net, much to the consternation of the home fans.
"I'm really happy with the girls, really proud of them. And we're just going to look to get better and better each game," said McDaniel.
Kerr, for her part, said the victory was particularly meaningful as she had missed out on the Matildas' opening game in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 due to injury.
"To do it here at Perth, it's extra special. And yeah, to do it in the Asian Cup was nice," said the Chelsea superstar, who scored her 70th goal for her country and her first since 2023.
She added that while the win was a strong start, Australia remains cautious in a highly competitive tournament.
"Everyone comes here to win. But we're just taking it one game at a time. Today was a good start and there's lots of belief within the team. But as you see today, there's a lot of quality teams in the Asian Cup. So you have to take one game at a time," Kerr said.
The Filipinas, meanwhile, are shifting their focus to their next match on Thursday against another continental powerhouse in South Korea.
"We've got to come away with some wins in the next couple of games so we can get ourselves out of the group. So I think we're just going to put our heads down, you know, think about this game for tonight and then let it go, put in the review and then get going towards South Korea," McDaniel said.