Sarina Bolden, who will be best remembered for scoring the Philippines’ historic goal in its 1-0 upset of New Zealand in the World Cup, is still on a high more than a week after their stint on women’s football’s biggest stage.
The Filipinas striker said their appearance and epic win in the FIFA Women’s World Cup had been a product of months of tough grind by the whole team.
“It’s been a ride. A lot of hard work, sacrifice. Ups and downs along the way. It’s been an experience of a lifetime,” the Fil-American said in an interview on CNN Sports Desk.
“[That goal] I’m going to keep with me forever,” she said.
“There’s a lot of preparation for this whole journey. It wasn’t for nothing, we got something out of it. I’m so happy to be here and be able to do that for the Philippines,” she added.
That unforgettable moment in Philippine women’s football happened in the 24th minute, when Sara Eggesvik sent a cross to Bolden, who headed the ball to the goal.
The shot was initially deflected by goalkeeper Victoria Esson before it went into the net, sending Filipino fans at Wellington Regional Stadium to their feet.
It was Bolden’s 22nd international goal for the Filipinas.
“That moment is just like any game,” Bolden recalled.
“I tried not to stress over going up against a good opponent. I didn’t kind of know it was going to be a goal-scoring opportunity, but we got that beautiful cross from Sara. I just set head the ball down, head the ball down… it went in,” she said.
“I was just like… I want to make sure for a second. ‘Is it good?’ When I knew it was good, I just sprint over to the sidelines, to the subs to the staff, share it to them,” she added.
The Filipinas eventually finished their group stage campaign with a loss to a more experienced powerhouse, Norway.
However, the team’s performance raised the bar for future performances.
Bolden hopes the Philippine women’s football program will get the support it needs for continued success.
“For me it’s definitely investment, not just financial investment. It’s not just about the finances and monetary,” she said.
“It’s about investing your time in this team. Just show up your effort and invest in any way that is possible so that we continue to grow and see this team do great things,” she added. (ABS-CBN News)