As the Philippine ladies’s nationwide soccer group sang the nationwide anthem previous to their match in opposition to Norway within the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the digital camera panned to Filipinas captain Hali Long who was seen teary-eyed whereas ‘Lupang Hinirang’ was enjoying.
Long herself admitted earlier than the match that she can be emotional when the Filipinas step out on the pitch throughout the World Cup, and it looks like she was proper.
“Even at the SEA Games in 2017, 2019, I’m like, with Cam Rod (Cam Rodriguez), we always cry every national anthem,” an emotional Long advised reporters on Sunday after their 6-0 loss to Norway.
“Every time it comes on, it just means so much.”
“You die for your country. It’s everything. It’s the pride and honor you have to represent your country anywhere on the global stage, as an athlete, as an underdog, as a boxer, as a beauty queen, as a weightlifter, as a footballer. It’s an utmost honor to be able to bring Lupang Hinirang here, the Philippine flag here for the first time and be able to be on the pitch to do that,” the Filipinas captain stated.
“It’s definitely a highlight of my life.”
Long has been part of the nationwide group since 2016 and as their historic run ended, she regarded again on what number of firsts the group completed within the World Cup.
“It’s an incredible ride,” she stated.
“There are so many firsts that happened here. Our first goal, first win, first game, first card, first everything. It was all a first for us. You can’t take any of that away from us.”
“It takes some teams, three, four, five World Cups just to win a game or score a goal so I couldn’t be more proud of the effort we gave in this whole campaign. It made our group pretty interesting.”
Long considers herself to be fortunate as she turned part of the Filipinas’ debut within the Women’s World Cup.
“It was always the goal to bring Philippine women’s football to the biggest stage. I just didn’t think it was gonna happen while I was still playing.”
She additionally paid tribute to those that turned part of the Filipinas’ journey resembling Rodriguez, Inna Palacios, Belay Fernando, Patrice Impelido, Marielle Benitez, and coach Let Dimzon.
“I’ve been in the program since 2015, 2016. There have been a lot of players, staff, everyone who has come to this team,” she stated.
“Everyone. All of them. They all have a part in this. They are all part of this journey. They’ve all been a part of my journey.”
“They mean everything to me. I play for them each and every second I can. I would do it time and time again.”
—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
