Shrugging off a 2-0 loss to Tanzania two days ago, the Jess Landangan-coached RP squad worked like a well-oiled machine, surging to a 4-1 halftime lead before scoring two more goals in the next period to wrap up the monumental win in front of a roaring South African gallery.
It marked the first time that the Philippines beat world football power Brazil at the international level and boosted the charges of British co-manager Craig Burrows into the shield competition after finishing the Group B preliminaries with a 1-2 win-loss slate.
“We prayed for a breakthrough for the RP ‘Miracle Team,’ and it was answered in a big way with this win over the Brazilians," said co-manager Ed Formoso.
Formoso also cited the Henry V. Moran Foundation, which staged the tryouts that led to the formation of a competitive squad to the South African soccerfest.
“It seems that the Tinikling footwork beat Samba footwork," noted RP women’s team skipper Marielle Benitez when informed of the historic win.
Benitez, a member of the world-famous Bayanihan dance troupe, earlier gave the RP members lessons in the popular folk dance that requires nimble feet between two bamboo poles as part of the team’s off-pitch extracurricular activity.
The Philippines next play Ukraine on Saturday with the winner facing the victor of the other Shield semifinals between host South Africa and Brazil on Sunday.
Source: Author Unknown | GMANews.TV
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