Bandoja gives Filipina5 shining moment at exit
Being a part of the Philippine team that competed in the Fifa Futsal Women’s World Cup was enough for Isabella Bandoja.
Scoring a goal exceeded whatever expectations she had going into the inaugural world competition played before home fans.
“I would have been happy with at least an assist,” she said in Filipino after accounting for the only goal the Filipina5 had in Thursday’s 5-1 loss to a superior Argentina squad that ended the host’s campaign at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Bandoja found the mark in the second half and the Argentinians were already assured of victory after a quickfire start that saw them produce all of their goals in the first seven minutes.
The goal provided the team with something to remember the tournament by, and something to build on, after losses to Poland (6-0) and Morocco (3-2) ended whatever hope the team had of making the next round.
The loss to Morocco offered even more painful lessons as the team scored the first two goals before fading.
The World Cup reminded the Filipina5 that the route to being at par with the participating teams in the tournament includes a lot of climbs as steep as the stairs leading to the PhilSports’ general admission area.
But the tournament also provided some lasting moments for the Filipina5, like Inday Tolentin being the country’s first goalscorer and keepers Samantha Hughes and Kayla Santiago being relentless between the sticks.
Bandoja’s goal, however, was something the 24-year-old didn’t expect, when she started learning the beautiful game inside Tuloy sa Don Bosco in Alabang.
“I never expected to score, nor did I set a goal that I would score in the World Cup,” she said.
But when the opportunity presented itself, Bandoja took advantage.
A blocked attempt by Argentina captain Carina Nuñez gave room for Bandoja to launch a solo effort that ended with a low right-footed shot, one that drew a huge roar from the audience.
“At the time when I had control of the ball, my focus was to just give my team at least one goal,” Bandoja said.
The World Cup may be over, but Bandoja has something to cherish for a very long time.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.
