The World Cup dreams of the Philippines national women’s soccer team and its two UWM alums came crashing to an end Sunday at the feet of a strong Norway squad.
Norway, the No. 12 ranked team in the world, deployed a relentless attack and swept the Philippines out of the tournament with a 6-0 victory. Had the Philippines won, they would have advanced to the 16-team knockout stage.
Despite the blowout loss, no one was blaming goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, a 2020 graduate of UWM. Norway had 30 attempts at goal in the match compared to just four for the Philippines.
“We definitely were outclassed tonight,” McDaniel told ABS-CBN News. “They were such an amazing team. They moved the ball a lot faster, and we just weren’t ready for that.”
As of Monday, McDaniel had made the second-most saves in this World Cup with 43 over three matches.
It was not an unexpected result for the Philippines team, which was the first from the country to ever qualify for the World Cup. It came five days after the Philippines scored a shocking 1-0 victory over tournament co-host New Zealand.
McDaniel and her sister, Chandler McDaniel, who is also a 2020 UWM graduate, are part of a large American-born contingent on the Philippines team. The McDaniel sisters could play for the Philippines because their mother, Lindy, is from that country.
Olivia was the toast of the World Cup after earning player of the match honors for her shutout vs. New Zealand. She played every minute of all three matches for the Philippines. Chandler subbed in in the second half of the Norway and Switzerland matches.
A first #FIFAWWC to be proud of, @PilipinasWNFT! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/CR2j7sbaIw
— FIFA Women’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) July 30, 2023
Olivia McDaniel, who often spoke for the team during the World Cup, told reporters that she was proud of what the team had accomplished. She said she hopes that the tournament run will inspire girls in the Philippines and grows the sport there, where boxing and basketball are more popular.
“There’s a lot more to look forward to. I’m so proud of the tournament we put on,” McDaniel told One Sports. “This isn’t the end for us. What we wanted to do is grow our federation and grow our group. We want more to come and join us, we want all the young boys and girls to know that this isn’t just a dream; it can be a reality.”
The Philippines team will be back competing in September in the Asian Games, then in October will try to make more history by qualifying for its first-ever Olympics.
