Sarina Bolden made time for everyone. Even as the journalists in the mixed zone trickled away, having to run to a press conference or start filing on a deadline, the Philippines national team forward stopped and spoke to everyone until there were only two or three reporters left in the cold underbelly of Wellington Regional Stadium. And everyone wanted a piece of her time. After all, she had just made history for the Philippines, scoring the country’s first tournament goal to earn their first win in a Women’s World Cup.
“It feels overwhelming. Crazy. It feels like I’m in a dream. It doesn’t feel real,” she said after the game. “I’m really happy and proud that I could do that for Philippine soccer, and it doesn’t happen because of me. It happens (because of) this whole team. My teammates, staff, the admin.”
It was a moment that drew roars from the pro-Pilipinas crowd as much as it stunned the Aotearoa New Zealand fans. Bolden made it 1-0 in the 24th minute, heading a ball served in by Sara Eggesvik. She rose above her defender, New Zealand goalkeeper Victoria Esson bobbled the ball and it went in. For the next 66 minutes and change, the Philippines national team stuck to its plan, and with a little help from a VAR offside call on Hannah Wilkinson, the game…
