Ramona Bachmann drilled her penalty kick into the left side of the net moments before halftime to set up Switzerland's 2-0 win over Philippines in the Women’s World Cup opener for both teams.
After last night's shock 1-0 win by New Zealand over Norway opened Group A, attention quickly shifted to the deep south for the other two members of the pool to see if another upset was on the cards.
However, Switzerland’s Seraina Piubel added a second-half goal, scoring on the rebound from a missed shot by Coumba Sow that ricocheted off Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel that effectively sealed the match.
The encounter was the first game inside Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium, the tournament’s only indoor venue. The crowd’s cheers echoed around the walls of the roughly half-full stadium, with an attendance of 13,711 in a venue that can fit over 30,000.
Philippines forward Katrina Guillou appeared to score a goal in the 15th minute, but it was waived off by an offside call.
Switzerland dominated offensively, outshooting the Philippines 17-3, but the Filipinas’ defense hung on. McDaniel held her own, making several key first-half saves –- only allowing Bachmann’s late penalty.
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