Filipinas with another commanding victory in the 2024 Paris Olympics Qualifiers

Photo credits: Philippine Women's National Football Team

Asserting their dominance against the opposition, the Philippine Women's National Football Team has made it two wins out of two after repeating their perfect performance against Tajikistan to blast their way to the top of Group E and set up a thrilling encounter against Hong Kong.

The Filipinas proved to be a tough customer for Tajikistan as seven different goalscorers made it to the score sheet in their matchup. The win also resembled the Filipinas' victory over the same opponents back in 2017 during the qualifiers for the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

The party started just 26 minutes into the game when Maya Alcantara lobbed the ball inside the box finding Carleigh Frilles who gave the slightest of the touch to provide an assist to Sofia Harrison.

It didn't take long for the ladies in blue to get their second goal as team captain Tahnai Annis capitalized on the confusion inside the box to slot in a goal of her own. Tajikistan's goalkeeper Saidova Saiyora went up in the air to punch the ball out but she collided with the onrushing Quinley Quezada. The referee didn't call it a foul which allowed Annis' goal to stand.

A minute past the half-hour mark, Frilles would score the third goal of the match for the Filipinas after a clinical sequence of play. Annis lobbed the ball into the box for Meryl Serrano who then headed it to the path of Frilles before she tapped it past the keeper.

As the floodgates opened, Quezada unboxed a belated birthday gift after scoring the fourth goal of the match. Annis was involved in the play again as she provided the assist to Quezada who just needed to head it past the keeper for the goal.

Not letting their foot off the gas pedal, the Filipinas kept on the pressure on the Tajiks and would eventually score the fifth goal of the match. Scandanavian recruits Sara Eggesvik and Serrano combined for the goal with Eggesvik lobbing it for Serrano who then heads it past the keeper.

Alcantara closed out the first half with their sixth goal after the goalkeeper misjudged the corner allowing Quezada to tap it into the path of Alcantara and score another goal making her the sixth Filipina of the night to make her name on the scoring sheet.

After a dominant first half, coach Alen Stajcic decided to mix things up a bit in the second half by taking off Alicia Barker, Serrano, Harrison, and Quezada who were then replaced by Malea Cesar, Jaclyn Sawicki, Eva Madarang, and Chandler McDaniel.

As the match approached the hour mark, McDaniel picked up where she left off last time around and scored her second goal in the qualifiers thanks to an incisive pass from Frilles. McDaniel enjoyed the wide real estate inside the box before hitting it past the keeper.

Fittingly enough, McDaniel closed out the party for the Filipinas as she scored her brace and her third goal in the competition in the 89th minute of the match. Sawicki's long ball found McDaniel off to the races who forced the keeper to commit and allowed her to flick the ball into the back of the net.

With their solid victory, the Filipinas are now in the driver's seat with two wins and a whopping +12 in goal difference while their closest rivals Hong Kong are just behind by seven goals.

The Filipinas will be facing Hong Kong in their final group stage match to determine who will progress to the next round of the Olympic qualifiers on the 11th of April.

This will be a rematch between the two side which saw the Philippines booking their ticket to their herstoric 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign that brought about their maiden qualification to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup at the expense of Hong Kong. Last time they met, the Filipinas came out on top via two goals to one thanks to a late winner from none other than Chandler McDaniel.