“Bringing a competitive opponent like Uzbekistan to Manila reflects our commitment to giving the Filipinas the best possible preparation for major tournaments such as the SEA Games and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. At the same time, we want matches like the GoTyme Bank Match Up to be more than just another night of football—they’re a celebration of our fans, our culture, and the growing passion for the beautiful game in the Philippines.” – PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez
The GoTyme Bank Match Up concluded with a nailbiting thriller as the Philippine women’s national football team and fellow Asian Cup-bound Uzbekistan figured in a 2-2 draw on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Filipinas spiced up the festive night from the get-go, with Chandler McDaniel scoring her first international goal on home soil in the second minute, in a well-linked throw-in play from Hali Long to Meryll Serrano, who headed the assist.
In the 56th minute, it was Serrano’s turn to score, receiving a well-placed lob from Sofia Harrison Wunsch during a loose ball scramble for a 2-0 lead.
“This is my first time scoring at home so I was very happy,” McDaniel said. “It’s still progress and we’re just gonna keep working towards AFC which is the ultimate goal.”
Uzbekistan, coming from a historic first-ever qualification to the Asian Cup finals and a final round appearance in the Paris Olympic qualifiers, fought back, with Uzbek all-time leading scorer Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva scoring a brace in a 67th minute set-piece and an 81st minute counterattacking run.
“It’s a very, very dynamic team of the Philippines,” commented Uzbekistan head coach Kotryna Kulbyte. “They are very dangerous in counter-attacks and in throw-ins and set-pieces. So, it was a great battle, a great game for us with them.”
For his part, Philippines head coach Mark Torcaso, the GoTyme Bank Match Up with Uzbekistan is of great benefit for the Filipinas’ upcoming campaigns in the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in December and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in March 2026.
“As I said at the start, this is a game that we really wanted to play a good team because we’re obviously playing the SEA Games, which are some good games. Uzbekistan is going to be, I think, maybe better than some of those teams,” Torcaso said.
“They’re a very good side and we respect them a lot. As you saw, they’re very physical, they’re very strong but they’re very intelligent on the whole so we’ll take a lot out of this game,” he added.
The Filipinas will battle defending gold medalist Vietnam, current ASEAN Women’s Championship runner-up Myanmar, and Malaysia in Group B of the SEA Games starting on December 5 in Thailand.
Football fiesta
Aside from the main event, the GoTyme Bank Match Up featured music and entertainment for the fans in attendance.
Gloryfall, an eight-piece Christian rock ensemble, launched its debut live performance of the original song Para sa Bayan at halftime.
Para sa Bayan is an anthem inspired by the recent successes of all national football teams in the ASEAN, Asian, and the world stage. The song is available for streaming on Spotify via this link.
Popular rock band Mayonnaise, meanwhile, performed their hit songs Jopay, Bakit Pt. 2, and their other hits in a post-game concert at the grandstand.
On the bleachers, the ever supportive Ultras Filipinas provided game-long chants to cheer the Filipinas and the home crowd up.
“The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) thanks GloryFall, Mayonnaise, Ultras Filipinas, and all the fans who came out in support of our national team. Your support inspires all of us to provide the best live game experience for FIlipino football fans,” said PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez.
With this, Gutierrez encourages the public to watch and support the upcoming FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City from November 21 to December 7, 2025.
“Together as one football community, let us show the world the Filipino spirit in the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup. This will surely be a memorable, fun experience and we look forward to seeing you all again next month!” he concluded.
