Disappointing Start for Host Nation
The Philippine women's futsal team experienced a challenging beginning to their FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup 2025 campaign, falling to a determined Polish squad with a final score of 0-6. This Group A encounter took place on Friday, November 21, 2025, at the PhilSports Arena in Manila, marking a difficult opening match for the host country.
Match Breakdown: Poland's Dominant Performance
Julia Basta initiated the scoring for Poland early in the game, finding the net during the 6th minute. The Polish team maintained their offensive pressure, and despite receiving a yellow card, Natalia Matuszewska extended their lead to 2-0 with a goal in the 18th minute.
The first half proved particularly challenging for the Philippine defense. Julia Szostak successfully scored for Poland in the 22nd minute, and Basta secured her second goal of the match merely a minute later, achieving a brace.
The second half brought further difficulties when Lanie Ortillo accidentally scored an own goal in the 25th minute, increasing Poland's commanding lead to 5-0. Klaudia Dyminska concluded the scoring for Poland with a final goal in the 29th minute, sealing the 6-0 victory.
Group Standings and Team Composition
In the other Group A match of the day, Argentina delivered a powerful 6-0 victory against Morocco. This result places both Argentina and Poland at the top of the group standings, each having secured three points from their opening matches.
The Philippine team and Morocco currently occupy the bottom positions in Group A, both seeking their first points in the tournament. The Philippine squad is led by Filipina5 mainstays Katrina Guillo, Isabella Flanigan, and Jaclyn Sawicki.
The complete roster includes promising young talent such as 17-year-old goalkeeper Samantha Hughes, alongside Kayla Santiago, Cathrine Graversen, Judy Connolly, Charisa Lemoran, Rocelle Mendano, Dionesa Tolentin, Alisha del Campo, Lanie Ortillo, Regine Rebosura, and Isabella Bandoja.
The Philippine team now looks ahead to their subsequent matches in the tournament, aiming to rebound from this initial setback and demonstrate their capability against world-class futsal competition.
