All news tagged MeryllSerrano

The Philippine women’s national football team saw a promising lead slip away as Uzbekistan rallied late to force a 2-2 draw in their international friendly on Wednesday night at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

After a ten-day training camp in Manila, the Filipinas looked sharp early, with Chandler McDaniel scoring just two minutes into the match off a brilliant setup by Meryll Serrano. Serrano later doubled the advantage in the 56th minute to give the hosts a 2-0 cushion.

However, Uzbekistan’s Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva stole the spotlight, pulling one back with a long-range free kick in the 67th minute before capitalizing on a defensive miscue to equalize in the 81st.

The result was a tough pill to swallow for the world No. 39 Filipinas, who are using the friendly as part of their preparations for the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in December.

The Philippine women’s football national team opened its campaign in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, blanking Saudi Arabia with a 3-0 score on Sunday, June 29, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Filipinas quickly took control of the match with midfielder Jaclyn Sawicki scoring the opening goal in the 16th minute after Meryll Serrano found her inside the box. 

Serrano remained relentless throughout the match, breaking through Saudi Arabia’s tight defense to double the lead in the 55th minute.

Filipino-American rising star Alexa Pino then put the game beyond doubt, slotting in a goal in the 81st minute to secure a dominant win for the Philippines in their tournament opener.