23 August 2019
By Kevin Estrada
History was made Friday afternoon in Chonburi, Thailand as the Philippines maul Singapore with a 4-0 beating to cap off their Group A campaign of the AFF Women’s Championship.
Despite fielding a tweaked side after their thriller with Thailand last Wedneday, Let Dimzon’s Malditas came out with guns blazing to book their first ever trip to the semifinal, with Alisha Del Campo broke from her slump at last with a hat-trick.
The win set them up a clash with Group B winners Vietnam on Sunday, as the hosts snuffed out a Malaysian upset after firing seven without reply in to wrap up the group stages.
With Inna Palacios given a reprieve following their six-goal shootout, Perth Glory’s Stacey Cavill took the cudgels in between the sticks and picked up a clean sheet in the process.
Del Campo scored the first just 38 seconds in, as she pounced on a Sara Castañeda ball to poke the ball into the empty net, with Quezada doubling their lead in the 6th minute with a timely feed by Hazel Lustan.
The La Salle forward then added their third just at half-time, as she headed home the rebound after an initial effort by Dionesa Tolentin, and completed her treble five minutes after the restart to on a poacher’s strike as she pounced on a miscue to fire it into the net.
Tolentin’s entry wrap up the four Malditas who made their international debut, with Chelo Hodges having the starting nod, with UP’s Elaiza Fagsao and Del Campo’s La Salle teammate Maye Mendaño rounding up the crew.
Philippines: Cavill (GK), Shelton, Long (C), Hodges, Bernal, Navaja, Castañeda (Fagsao 45+2′), Inquig, Lustan, Quezada (Tolentin 40′), Del Campo (Mendaño 56′)
Singapore: B. Tan (GK), Dhaniyah, Siti (C), Rosini (Lim 69′), Ho, Sontani, Hamdan, Ruzi (Suriya Priya 46′), Yip Au, Rafidi (Razali 80′), D. Tan
Photo courtesy of Malditas head coach Let Dimzon
Follow the writer on Twitter: @kevinlestrada
