MANILA, Philippines — Seventy-four seconds.
That was all that was left in the match between the Philippines and Indonesia in the final elimination round match of the 2024 AFF Women’s Futsal Championship.
While both teams were level at one goal apiece, both were in search of the match-winning goal.
While Indonesia was safely in the battle for third place, it wanted to knock out the Philippines if possible because of the home court crowd that gave the latter a huge lift.
For the host country, while a draw would suffice to enter the battle for third, if they could win it going in, then so much the better.
With 1:14 left in the match, Indonesia had a corner kick after a save by keeper Samantha Hughes.
The Philippines' field players crowded the penalty area technically leaving two players unmarked — team captain Novita Piranti, who was going to take the corner kick, and Rusdiana, who lined up behind Dinar Sari.
As Novita kicked the ball in, Rusdiana cut to the left and fired on the run. The ball evaded Philippine captain Isabella Bandoja, and Jada Bicierro and slipped between the legs of Hughes for the marginal goal.
The Pinays launched one last drive to salvage a draw, but Lannie Ortillo was denied twice by Indonesian keeper Diyana Herliana, and Bandoja’s last shot was blocked as ran time out.
Players from both sides dropped to the floor — the Indonesians in prayer and exhaustion; the Filipinas in disbelief and tears.
Indonesian head coach Arif Kurniawan went up to the Philippine team and simply said, “I am sorry.”
Rusdiana was even more in disbelief when she was judged by the Match Commissioner Cristy Ramos as Player of the Match.
“You only dream of something like this,” she said through an interpreter.
The Indonesians began the tournament on a heartbreaking note when they succumbed to a late goal — and a deflection following a terrific stop by Novita — to Thailand.
This time, they weathered a collapse and got the favorable result they wanted in the end — to win going into the knockout round, and eliminate the Philippines and their boisterous home crowd.
“We do not like to lose,” Hermans uttered n his way off the floor, “But what can you do — that’s futsal or football. It will only be good if we can learn from it.”
Indonesia struck first in the match when Alya Hendrita snared a chip from Fitriya Hilda who in turn, also chipped the ball over Lorraine Evangelista and Hughes.
Five minutes later, the Philippines got themselves back in the game when Bandoja spun around Dhea Bangun and Fitri Sundari a second too late on the help defense to fire the equalizer into the back of the net.
Despite the sad finish for the home team, foreign coaches paid tribute to the Pinays not as lip service but in genuine fashion.
“If they keep the program going forward, they will become a very good team,” noted Kurniawan.
Even Thailand’s Surapong Plyouwong hailed the squad. “As they play longer, and become better with their tactics, skills, and conditioning, they will become a force in regional futsal.”
“We had about a minute left, but…” lamented Evangelista who did not finish her sentence.
For Hermans, the tournament was exactly what he hoped for — top-quality competition that his team needed to experience — win or lose. He bared trips for training and competitions abroad in the lead up to the 2025 FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup.
“It might be the end for us in the tournament, but this is the beginning of our journey,” he summed it up.