Olivia McDaniel admits she was pretty nervous when she stepped into goal for her World Cup match in July.
“It was a really huge field and there was all the hype, but the minute you step on the field you think, ‘It’s just soccer, it’s just another game.’”
McDaniel and her sister, Chandler, both 2020 UWM alumnae, helped make soccer history for the Philippines women’s soccer team in this summer’s World Cup. Their mother, Lindy, is Filipina, which made them eligible for the national team.
The McDaniel sisters, who both played soccer for UWM, helped the Philippines team qualify for the World Cup for the first time. Then, goalie Olivia became a star in the team’s first-ever World Cup victory with a 1-0 victory over co-host New Zealand on July 25. She made a spectacular save on a shot near the end of the game that would have tied the score. McDaniel was named player of the game, the first time that award was given to a goalkeeper at this year’s World Cup.
It was amazing that the Philippines made the World Cup; it was stunning to win a match there. While the team didn’t advance, the McDaniel sisters were thrilled to have the experience on the world soccer stage at one of the largest events in sports.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Chandler said. “It was surreal. Every little soccer player dreams of growing up and playing in the World Cup. It was just a terrific experience overall.”
Starting as ‘little littles’
Olivia and Chandler started playing soccer as “little littles” growing up in California, Olivia recalled. “We’ve been playing for as long as we can remember.” Their dad, Clint, is a soccer coach, and their brother, Griffin, also plays soccer.
Their mom got them involved with Philippine soccer through camps. Her parents had come to the U.S. when they were young, passing on their dual citizenship to their daughter Lindy and ultimately their grandchildren.
Chandler and Olivia grew up attending soccer camps and tournaments, and eventually ended up playing college soccer for UWM. Olivia played goal for the Panthers from 2016 to 2019, part of successful four-year stretch in which the team went 62-9-8 overall. Chandler, who transferred to UWM, started all 19 games in 2018.
Olivia came to UWM first to pursue a degree in communication, and Chandler transferred to UWM after two years at Virginia Tech, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at UWM with a minor in psychology.
She didn’t know much about UWM when she came here, Olivia recalled, “but I ended up absolutely loving it. I have some wonderful memories.”
The sisters are proud of their Filipino heritage and thrilled they’ve been a part of helping the country, especially its young women, start to make its mark in the sport. Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, but lags behind basketball, volleyball and others in the Philippines.
“Growing up, we knew about our heritage through our mother, grandparents, cousins and extended family,” Chandler said. “We’re very proud to be able to shine a light on the country.”
The World Cup appearance and the first-ever win was a victory for the whole team, Olivia said.
“We got to play for our country, and that was just amazing. We had a really good mindset. We wanted to do it for the country.”
Trying for the Olympics
More recently, the McDaniel sisters helped the Philippines try to make another huge leap – qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. That’s a much more difficult task – 32 teams qualify for the World Cup, but only 12 make it to the Olympics.
The Philippines team cruised through the first round of qualifying in January with three victories, advancing to the second round in Perth, Australia, in late October.
With Olivia in goal on Oct. 26, Chandler came off the bench in the 86th minute and scored her fifth international goal, capping the Philippines’ 4-1 win over Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). The team also beat Iran, 1-0, but lost to powerhouse Australia, 8-0.
That left the Philippines agonizingly short of advancing to the final round, losing out to Uzbekistan on a tiebreaker.
The team’s success this year pushed the Philippine team’s ranking into the top 40 in the world, its highest ever.
The McDaniel sisters’ futures include more soccer. Both have signed to play with the Austrian team FC Pinzgau Saalfelden.
“For now, we just want to play for as long as possible, Olivia said. “It depends on our bodies and how long we can do it. We prefer to be together, so we’d like to be on the same club team for as long as possible. Maybe in the next four years we’ll try to compete in another World Cup.”
