Five Takeaways from that late Filipinas comeback

It ain't over until it's over. That's what went through the minds of the Philippine Women's National Football Team as they won it late against Nepal in their opening fixture in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Thanks to two late goals from Tahnai Annis and Camille Wilson, the Filipinas won it late against Nepal who made it difficult for them in the first segments of the match. Here are our five takeaways from that late comeback from the Filipinas

1) Slow start, decent finish

The Filipinas needed to dig deep in order to win against the ranked 101 in the world as they got the opening goal in just nine minutes. Bimala Chaudhary caught the defense sleeping to get the first goal for her side.

It wasn't a mountain to climb but the ladies in white had a hard time breaking through the defense of Nepal. They needed to pour their hearts out in the second half just to get their groove on and hope for a miracle.

"In the second half, our adjustment was we put up four forwards, three attacking midfielders, one defensive mid, and two central defenders because Nepal just sent one forward upfront," said coach Marlon Maro regarding their second-half adjustments.

With the introduction of Filipinas veteran Cam Rodriguez on the 51st minute and two more subs in the 66th minute through Isabelle Mapanao and the eventual game-winner Wilson, the ladies took advantage of the additional personnel on the attacking end.

Annis' goal in the 89th minute was a product of a whipping cross from Chandler McDaniel from the right while the game-winning goal was produced by Rodriguez from the left.

It wasn't the best start for the Filipinas but what matters the most is they made it count towards the end. A simple display of resilience and proof that playing until the final whistle has been blown pays dividends for the win.

2) Coping up with the pandemic

It is clear that everyone has been affected by the pandemic and this performance clearly showed that athletes were affected the most. The Philippines, who are ranked 68 in the world found it difficult to get their groove on in the first portion of the match.

Given the fact that the ladies only had a chance of a training camp in the United States two months before the qualifiers, they really had a lot of coping up to do with not much time in their favor. The training camp also served as a tryout venue for aspiring players.

Despite all of these, they showed they can make it through, and now, they are inching closer to a ticket to the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup in India.

3) The Filipinas are turning heads real quick

Hoping to continue their fine form from 2019, the Filipinas have a chance of a lifetime to make two appearances out of two qualifications in the Women's Asian Cup.

The first time they qualified for the biggest stage in Asian women's football, not many people were able to focus on their fantastic feat because of lack of coverage but thanks to the pandemic, people will have to focus more on the news and updates while staying at home.

With their win against Nepal, not only known figures in Philippine Football have taken notice, but also even the big ones are seeing it.

The official Facebook page of the FIFA Women's World Cup posted about the Filipinas' victory over Nepal side-by-side with Germany's seven-nil drubbing against Bulgaria.

Even the Philippine Azkals' team captain Stephan Schröck took notice of the ladies' fine comeback against Nepal with this post in his Instagram stories.

They are now finally getting that much-needed attention thanks to the help from our friends in the media as well as fans' efforts in getting updates about our women's national football team. Let's just hope this is not the last of it.

4) That Kelme kits are banging

Our dream of seeing our national teams in one kit becomes a reality and last night, we saw how it looked like on our ladies. This is the first time we're seeing the kits that are also being used by the Azkals and it sure is gorgeous.

It may be a small gesture but for fans here in the country, it means a lot. A show of unity for the love of the beautiful game after years and years of what it felt like growing separately. All we can say is, long may this continue.

5) Crucial match against Hong Kong

The Filipinas have now overcome the first hurdle in their quest for the ticket to India but they will have a lot on their plates come kick off on the 24th of September.

Before that, they will be having a much-needed rest day as Hong Kong takes on Nepal on the 21st of September for their first match in the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers.

Hong Kong is currently ranked 76 in the world and is looking to use that to its advantage against Nepal. However, the last five matches were not so kind for them as they are on a five-game losing streak. They will be looking to win this match if they hope to have a chance against the Filipinas.

As for our national team, they will be watching the game on Tuesday closely to learn more about their opponents. They'll also hope for a win by Nepal to ease off the pressure come the final matchday on the 24th of September.

A win for Nepal or even a draw against Hong Kong would mean that the Philippines will just have to avoid a defeat in order to make it to the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup in India.