Filipina5 not taking World Cup experience for granted
Jaclyn Sawicki and the Philippine women’s futsal team dug deep and somehow found enough motivation to show up with some competitive fire against Argentina late Thursday night at the Fifa Futsal Women’s World Cup.
The Filipina5 saw victory slip away against Morocco, and with it, the chance to advance to the next round.
And while it was easy to just wallow in the misery of losing a 2-0 cushion, the Filipina5 decided they wanted to bid farewell to the tournament with their head held high.
“We can’t take these moments for granted; like, who knows when we’re going to be at a World Cup again,” Sawicki said after the 3-2 defeat to Morocco.
“And I think the girls are just going to keep their heads up, be resilient as we always are,” she added.
The hosts were playing Argentina at press time at Philsports Arena in Pasig City, with very remote chances of victory that would somehow reverse the consequence of their last defeat and a 6-0 loss to Poland on opening night.
So those who still watched the team’s swan song had to be content watching their team give everything it had against a fancied foe.
It was the second World Cup in a Philippine shirt for Sawicki, who was part of the Filipinas team that produced a landmark victory against co-host New Zealand in the Fifa Women’s World Cup two years ago.
For her career, it was actually Sawicki’s third, having represented Canada in the 2012 Fifa (international football federation) U-20 Women’s World Cup.
“Kind of crazy,” the 33-year-old Sawicki said. “I just thank my family for fighting for a better life and giving me everything that they wanted to give me when I was a kid and developing in that way.
“I’m super fortunate,” added Sawicki, whose father is Polish and mother is Filipino. “I’m honestly speechless to be able to say that out loud now.”
With the World Cup stint over, the Filipina5 will next set their sights on the Thailand Southeast Asian Games, their first appearance in the biennial meet since 2011.
