World Kicks: Philippines

A three-page primer on the Philippines, who had just qualified for a first World Cup in a country where basketball dominates and neither national team had previously come close. Glenn Moore traces the rise from 133rd in the world in 2011 to 64th, and credits two things: the appointment of Alen Stajcic, sacked by Australia in 2019 for reasons never made clear, and a deliberate policy of recruiting from the Filipino diaspora, with 19 of the 23-strong Asian Cup squad based in the United States. The heroes of the shootout win over Taiwan were the Californian McDaniel sisters, Olivia saving twice and converting the critical fifth penalty. Moore is honest about what may follow, quoting Stajcic on the gap facing part-time players and recalling Thailand’s 13-0 defeat in France.