Inna Palacios and Hali Long talk about Filipinas' win in the the FIFA Women's World Cup

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Transcript

00:00 I have no exact words to tell you how I feel about winning that game.

00:04 All that sacrifice is boiled down to one goal.

00:08 It's like, mind blown.

00:10 Good day Kapamilya!

00:18 Kaila Cortes here.

00:19 And for today, we have two special guests that changed Philippine football history.

00:25 From the Philippine National Football Team,

00:27 let's all welcome Hailey Long and Ina Palacios.

00:29 Hi guys, how's your day?

00:31 Hi, thanks for having us.

00:32 My first question is,

00:34 what was the exact feeling of actually playing in an international stadium

00:39 where people around the world were watching?

00:42 What was your initial feeling?

00:43 You know, we see that comes with a lot of nerves and excitement.

00:47 It's like you were feeling everything all at the same time.

00:49 So it was a very overwhelming feeling.

00:51 People make fun of me for all the tears I shed at the World Cup.

00:55 It was like, happy tears, sad tears.

00:57 It was every single emotion.

00:59 I had in my body.

01:00 It was such a big event to not be present every single moment.

01:05 It was so overwhelming because you also have to focus,

01:08 make sure that you're ready for your training, for your games.

01:10 But it was such a big event that you just also want to celebrate it.

01:14 It was just so amazing to be able to experience something like the World Cup.

01:17 The highest of the pro athletes, like you usually do.

01:20 For the Philippines to be there, for us to experience that,

01:23 it's really once in a lifetime.

01:24 For you Hailey, as the Kapitana and athlete,

01:27 this was the first FIFA World Cup of the Philippines.

01:29 Did you feel any pressure?

01:31 Yeah, I felt honestly like the whole weight of the Philippines on my shoulders.

01:36 It's not like it's a burden or anything.

01:38 It's the biggest honor I've ever had in my career.

01:40 I couldn't have been any more proud to do that, to be gifted that,

01:44 and to have earned that was very big for me.

01:48 She might cry again.

01:49 No, I won't cry. I won't cry again.

01:51 But how did you handle that pressure?

01:53 Like mentally preparing yourself for at least our sport.

01:57 It's a lot of visualization.

01:59 It's a lot of being really mindful and like being really present

02:03 because football is a really fast sport

02:05 and you're constantly thinking about the mistake you just made.

02:08 You're never going to be ready for like the next second.

02:11 What's going to happen next?

02:12 Where's the ball going to be?

02:14 Who's going to be doing what?

02:15 It's very unpredictable.

02:16 So you kind of have to mentally prepare yourself for anything and everything

02:20 and every single possibility and outcome.

02:22 There's no perfect situation.

02:24 That's just me as an individual.

02:26 So trying to spread that with the team, obviously, is of the utmost importance

02:31 because we have to be a unit out there when we play.

02:34 Just a side question. I'm very curious.

02:36 So the weather in New Zealand is far different from the Philippines.

02:39 So is that a challenge that you guys face?

02:41 Did it somehow hinder the team from maybe playing even better?

02:46 For us, for sure.

02:48 Like because we live here, we were freezing every single training.

02:51 It's almost like a torture sometimes

02:55 because we can only wear so much when you're training.

02:58 After, before, it was very warm, comfy, and really snug.

03:02 But I think the worst part was the wind.

03:05 It's not just cold, but there's wind.

03:07 So it gets colder. It's almost like you're freezing.

03:10 And sometimes the rain.

03:11 It would rain for like the whole month.

03:13 Yeah.

03:13 So then you're wet for the rest of training and cold.

03:17 It's also an experience, I would say.

03:18 I think I appreciate it more now that I'm back here

03:21 because it's so hot here.

03:22 For me, I'd rather still play in hot than cold.

03:26 But then I don't think it would have been any different

03:29 in terms of like it had an effect on our performance or not.

03:32 That's why we were in Australia for a month before that.

03:35 It's just really to get used to the weather, how it's going to be like.

03:38 I think we did a good job preparing for that.

03:41 So let's assess your games for match.

03:43 So I want to know your personal assessment on the first game against Switzerland.

03:47 So this was the first game ever.

03:48 I'm sure you guys felt excited and there's this confidence.

03:52 But I'm also sure that team felt a bit nervous and pressured.

03:55 So how did you guys handle that as a whole team?

03:58 I remember before our first game, we were called, everyone,

04:02 the whole Philippine delegation were called in a meeting room

04:05 and there just to like ease the pressure.

04:07 Our admin made like a video from friends and family.

04:11 And we got special thanks from our manager, coaches and stuff

04:15 just to boost our morale and, you know, soak it all in.

04:18 You know, winning is a bonus, but we were fighting for more than just winning.

04:22 We were fighting for the future generation.

04:24 We were fighting to make sure that Philippine football will develop

04:27 and have that program that it deserves, that growth that it deserves.

04:31 With that as our motivation and inspiration,

04:35 winning, which came in the New Zealand day, was a bonus.

04:38 And it felt so, so good because it happened.

04:41 Of course, we all want to win, but then our purpose was much bigger than just winning.

04:45 So I think the girls were all aligned in that and we really showed it.

04:49 I feel like we've never been so unified until the last few months

04:53 in the team and in the World Cup.

04:55 Like we really felt each other's support and stuff like that.

04:58 After the game, in preparation for the next one,

05:00 what was the team doing? Focus on recovery or full on training?

05:04 I think the routine in all the teams is you fly out the day before the game

05:08 and then you leave the day after the game.

05:10 So there's like, what, five days between each game,

05:13 but then take like flying.

05:16 It's two of those days. It's just three and a half days.

05:18 But you still train the day that you fly out.

05:21 That's also an experience.

05:23 You feel so special because it's a chartered flight.

05:25 Yeah.

05:26 Because for Team Philippine, we would never, ever experience anything like that.

05:30 So that's also an experience that we wanted to be,

05:32 to stay present in and experience.

05:34 Pero we were also getting tired of flying back and forth

05:38 because a few days before our first game,

05:41 we also flew out to play Sweden.

05:44 So we only had like a few days of rest.

05:47 Siyempre, the coaches have to be mindful of our rest

05:49 and also the girls like staying focused and sharp.

05:52 A lot of the training, a lot of the corrections would happen indoors.

05:56 Presentations, videos.

05:58 Because we didn't have the luxury of time to work on everything.

06:02 We just reviewed the Switzerland game and then we moved on to the New Zealand.

06:06 Oh my God, it was so fast.

06:07 Parang pag tulog mo, game two na kagad.

06:10 Game agad.

06:11 Tapos game three.

06:12 Tapos uwi ka na.

06:13 If you didn't stop and just like try and be still for a moment,

06:18 it would be like days have gone by.

06:21 Routine talaga siya.

06:22 Yeah.

06:22 Which helps that they give a schedule and you get on this routine.

06:25 Okay, on to your next game, aka the historic win.

06:29 So before entering the field, compared to the previous match,

06:33 was the team's energy and mindset much more positive, alive?

06:38 And what was the focus, the game plan then?

06:41 Game plan was to make bawe from the last meeting that we had against New Zealand

06:46 because we did go against them in a friendly match in California.

06:49 Their assault was 2-1 New Zealand.

06:52 Like realistically, looking at our group,

06:54 New Zealand was the game that we really needed to win,

06:57 or that we knew that we are capable of winning.

06:59 We had gone against them already.

07:01 The vibe of that day, I don't know, you just feel like we were ready.

07:04 Like we couldn't have done anything more.

07:07 But I do think we played much better during the Switzerland game.

07:10 But we lost the actual game play.

07:14 Like our ball possession, if you look at the numbers of how much we actually kept the ball in Switzerland versus New Zealand,

07:20 and then if you look at how many turnovers we had.

07:23 I think we were more organized also.

07:25 It's us versus us.

07:26 Our pass completion, can we raise our possession?

07:29 If we do that, then everything else will kind of follow.

07:31 Because we are a defensively strong team,

07:35 ball possession is something we have to be super mindful of.

07:38 We were ready for that game.

07:39 We couldn't think about it anymore.

07:41 We had months to scout all the teams, months to watch film on them.

07:45 You can't like overdo it.

07:46 Because then you're going to overthink everything once you get to the game.

07:50 Maybe we did that just a little bit.

07:52 The Switzerland one, say.

07:53 Yeah.

07:53 Going into that game, I think I was nervous because I knew we could win.

07:59 And if anyone loves their country as much or more than a Filipino, it's a key.

08:04 Like you see how strong their traditions are.

08:07 You see how strong their culture is.

08:10 And everything they put out before the games,

08:13 the ceremonies they had across New Zealand just for the World Cup,

08:16 and how respectful they are towards each other.

08:18 It was intimidating for me.

08:19 Not necessarily as their point, which is I think why it is so strong.

08:23 Their goal isn't to intimidate you.

08:25 It's honestly to welcome you and to respect you and to respect them.

08:30 And that's what makes it so intimidating.

08:31 At least in the New Zealand game, it was parang 50-50.

08:35 The crowd was pretty much 50-50.

08:36 I was surprised by how much Filipinos went to our games.

08:40 Never in my wildest dreams, I would think that people would come watch women's football,

08:46 especially outside the Philippines.

08:47 And then when we were going against New Zealand, it's a home country.

08:50 We know how much a home crowd can affect a player or a team.

08:54 So we were also very cautious and careful about that

08:57 because we experienced that when we won our AFF here.

09:00 And we really did ride that wave of energy from everyone on the stands.

09:05 Hearing your win as a historic win, labeled as a historic win,

09:11 how does that feel?

09:13 Amazing.

09:14 Imagine New Zealand going to the World Cup six times

09:18 and getting their first win on their sixth World Cup.

09:21 That's a lot of years.

09:22 For the Philippines to go to the World Cup for the first time and get their first win.

09:26 And a lot of the nations did this as well, but that's unreal.

09:29 All I could say, puso, tiwala, laban, like everything, we laid it all out.

09:34 Months of months of sacrifice that people don't even know and see that the girls have shown.

09:39 Parang we didn't even follow anything in that game.

09:41 You just tried to play and win it.

09:44 You just wanted to grab it.

09:45 I have no exact words to tell you how I feel about winning that game.

09:49 All that sacrifice is boiled down to one goal.

09:53 It's like, "Pwoh! Mind blown."

09:55 After that game, when all of the team went back to the locker room,

10:00 what was going on there?

10:01 Going back to the locker room, we all came back at separate times.

10:05 Parang finals yung panalo.

10:07 Nakakatawa kasi we were all just doing our rounds around the stadium.

10:11 Taking selfies with everyone and just enjoying and celebrating the fans as well.

10:16 And I think my family was making kwento.

10:19 Nagugulat yung mga Kiwi sa fans ng Pinoy.

10:22 Just because of how much they love supporting and chanting and cheering you on.

10:28 I just want to say to everyone, we really, really, truly appreciate and love every single love that you give us.

10:34 And support that you give us.

10:35 Kasi it's a milestone for women's football to get this much attention.

10:40 Just in general. The whole tournament itself.

10:42 It's so funny kasi.

10:43 After yung first game in Switzerland, different cities, host cities, there's a big screen.

10:48 It's like a party, games.

10:50 And then it's called a fan festival pala.

10:52 There's a store where you buy all the merch.

10:55 There was a few of us that went there and said, "Oh, can we have some?"

10:58 Like, "We'll just buy one each."

11:00 I'm telling you, the next day, every single place was sold out.

11:04 When we went to Sydney after, there was this sales lady saying, "Oh yeah, Columbia and Philippines, they're insane."

11:10 The Filipinos in Sydney are buying all of our stuff in Sydney.

11:13 And Melbourne buying all of our stuff there.

11:16 So when we went back to Australia to see our family, we were like, "There has to be some here."

11:21 Like, "I understand not being any in New Zealand."

11:23 Nothing.

11:24 So even us, we don't even have anything except for that magnet.

11:27 My ate got me, like, jersey scarves that have whoever's playing.

11:31 It's like Philippines versus New Zealand, Philippines versus Switzerland, Philippines versus Norway.

11:36 She got me one from each game.

11:38 She actually posted on Facebook that she is willing to trade my jersey that I gave her years ago.

11:44 She offered to trade that signed.

11:47 And people were messaging her back on Facebook, "Oh, I have one. I have one."

11:51 It's not even signed.

11:52 She's like, "Can you sign this?"

11:53 I have to give it a minute.

11:54 Moving forward, game against Norway, which was crucial.

11:59 So I want to hear your personal assessment for Haley, for Tina.

12:04 I thought we had a fair chance of winning that game.

12:07 Like, I really deeply believe that we could have.

12:11 I don't know what happened.

12:12 I don't know what happened in tactics and stuff there.

12:15 It's hard because watching film on Norway, you see the girls on their team.

12:19 If you look at any of the girls, they all play in Europe.

12:23 Like on big trams.

12:24 Arsenal, Chelsea.

12:26 They play for the best teams that you can play on as a woman.

12:30 If you look at the top 10 individuals, there's three of them from Norway.

12:35 But then you watch their film and you see how inconsistent they can be.

12:39 There's an opening for us.

12:40 There's a possibility.

12:41 And then seeing how New Zealand beat them, we were like, "Oh, we definitely can do it."

12:45 Whether it was personnel, whether it was tactics, we did not have the kind of possession...

12:52 - That we needed. - That we needed to win that game.

12:54 So being our first time at the World Cup, I think we did the best we could in the position that we were put in.

13:01 There was a lot of firsts that happened, not just for the Philippines,

13:04 but first goals for multiple teams, first appearances for eight different countries, record amount of viewers.

13:11 First time we had 32 teams.

13:13 For the first time, it will be a different team winning the World Cup this year.

13:17 And that's so historical.

13:19 I can't even explain or tell you how important that is in the world of football.

13:24 Because that shows how much we've closed the gap around the world between teams.

13:29 And that took years and years and years.

13:32 Before, we couldn't even imagine a different team winning a World Cup.

13:35 Because it was just so obvious and their program was just so far ahead.

13:40 But now everyone's catching up with technologies, learning the game more, and just evolving with the game.

13:47 It's a lot more technical and tactical, and a lot of analysis now that players have to do and understand to be able to stay in the game.

13:55 And a lot of physicality also, like strength and conditioning, it all plays.

14:00 Like before, especially here in the Philippines, there's no such thing as strength and conditioning.

14:04 But it's so, so, so important, especially in injury prevention.

14:07 And we're so lucky we didn't get anything during the World Cup.

14:11 But before they released the groupings, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, and you guys,

14:18 who did you want to play against with?

14:20 Like all the nations, all the countries.

14:23 And we know that we might lose.

14:25 Netherlands.

14:29 We were also very fortunate to be able to play against the US and Sweden right before the World Cup.

14:35 Just like seeing your idols, you know, people with big names that you watch on TV, and seeing them reachable, like you can touch them.

14:42 That's amazing. That allows you to dream bigger.

14:45 I think the message there is for the kids to realize that it is attainable, it is reachable, they can do it as well.

14:53 If we can, or we did, then they definitely can.

14:56 And I think it's unified also, like it's not just the Philippines fighting for that.

14:59 It's the whole world, it's every single team.

15:02 You know, we just see how much we're lacking there. And we see these girls fight with everything that they have, like blood, sweat, and tears.

15:09 It's just amazing to see and be around them.

15:11 Like the reggae girls, like Jamaica.

15:13 My respect for them is out of this world. I'm so proud of where they are right now.

15:18 I bet it's even harder than what we had.

15:20 Okay, but going back with that game, because of that loss, how did that affect the whole team?

15:26 You know, sad, of course sad, but disappointed with the loss because we did genuinely feel that we could have, there was a chance.

15:34 We were better than obviously with the Spotlight show.

15:36 Football is brutal, like sometimes you get punished just like that.

15:40 I think you have to look at it as a whole, the effort that was put into that game, it's a lot more than just the results.

15:47 Just a lot of emotions just fell after that game because that was their journey.

15:52 I mean, at the end of the day, it was still successful because we made it there and we won a game.

15:58 And we gave ourselves the best chance to even go to their round of 16.

16:01 A lot of proud moments there.

16:03 One of our goals was to try and get out of our group.

16:05 Not just, we didn't want to go there and just like try and win a game.

16:07 We want to win as many as we can and get out of our group because looking at the teams we were with, we thought we could do it.

16:14 I think we still could have, but that's not the way things played out for us.

16:17 The fact that we even gave ourselves that chance, I think is a huge win for the team, for the program, country, because we were almost there.

16:26 The fact that we could almost be there definitely means we can do it.

16:29 Still very proud, like really still very proud and it's a successful run.

16:33 During the last day, the last match, I actually attended this watch party and the love and support of all Filipinos for you guys is there.

16:44 It's so powerful and I can actually feel it. Goosebumps talaga.

16:49 Gonna cry na, pero...

16:51 We cried so much. Oh my gosh.

16:54 That night, I can't even tell you how many tears we've shed, but we felt it.

17:00 I will never get over talking about that stadium and how full it was.

17:07 Everyone, everyone who followed us from the South Island to the North Island, that's crazy.

17:12 I just remember my parents making kwento, like they rode the train from Wellington to Auckland and then they saw alongside was the road and people would do road trips.

17:22 They had like flags, Filipino flags, like waving and then, you know, that's also them bonding over the World Cup.

17:29 And you just see how you bring so many people together, which is football.

17:34 Because everyone just commuted.

17:35 It's very easy to do there.

17:37 She said every train ride home from any of the games was like a whole nother party.

17:42 Just Filipinos doing the wave down the train.

17:46 Saying, "Why? For what?"

17:48 Just, "Hello." Just because they can, just because they're all together.

17:52 We felt all the love.

17:53 We can't say thank you enough for that.

17:56 Seeing all the watch parties, all the viewing parties, how accessible this World Cup has been.

18:01 But especially like our games, seeing like everything they set up just to watch us win or lose, just to bring people together to cheer us on the way that they did was incredible.

18:13 Like we couldn't have asked.

18:14 Like we didn't even ask for that.

18:16 We didn't know that was happening.

18:18 We didn't even know that was happening until like after the game, we would see all the videos and posts and people sharing stuff with you.

18:26 It was very, very special to see.

18:29 And that meant a lot.

18:31 But Hailey, as the team captain, what were the white words that came out of your heart?

18:38 How did you conflict your team?

18:40 I didn't want to say too much to the girls, but I always go back to like what I've said for the past few years to myself.

18:47 That we get, I always say like we get to do this.

18:50 Like we get to.

18:51 We have the opportunity to.

18:54 We have the privilege to do this.

18:56 We don't have to do this.

18:57 We get to do this.

18:58 And if you think about the privilege you hold in the position you're in to be on this team, you remember your whys, your hows, your whats.

19:06 You remember all of that.

19:07 You have no reason to complain about anything because people would kill to be exactly in your shoes in this exact position.

19:15 We get to do this.

19:16 Just think about it.

19:17 Think about your journey and what got you there.

19:20 Why you get to do this.

19:21 And you need to prove why you deserve to still do this.

19:25 Giving it your absolute all that you come off and feel happy with your performance.

19:29 If you're not happy with your performance, then there's a little bit more work to be done.

19:33 Currently, how's the team doing?

19:35 We're kind of just waiting to see what's going to happen next.

19:38 What the federation will announce for us next.

19:41 But in the meantime, everyone is either relaxing or back to training.

19:45 We're trying to find a little bit of both.

19:46 Any plugs, message to your fans?

19:49 As Ina said, we could not have done this without all the people going there.

19:53 All of our friends and family supporting us, showing us love and all the messages.

19:58 Whether we respond or not.

20:00 We do see it and we can do so much, respond to so many people.

20:04 We do feel the love.

20:05 We felt the love for like months now.

20:08 But I hope this is just the beginning of what Philippine football is capable of doing.

20:13 We got ourselves to the world's biggest football platform.

20:18 Showed that we deserve to be there.

20:20 But that just means we have to continue to support the team, support the leagues, support individuals.

20:29 We really, really do appreciate all the love and support you've given the team.

20:33 And you guys would be our strength.

20:35 You guys are our why.

20:36 The little girls, little boys are our why of why we're doing all of this.

20:41 It's for them to dream bigger than we did.

20:43 And for them to get the opportunity that we didn't have.

20:46 And for them to know that they can.

20:48 I think that's the most important message here.

20:51 For everyone who believed and stayed with us through it all.

20:54 Just thank you.

20:56 It's a lot of responsibility but I think it's a good responsibility to have.

21:00 Because now we know, "Kaya ng Pinoy."

21:02 And I think that's the most amazing thing about it.

21:05 Kaya ng Pinoy, kaya ng Pinoy na maglaro sa World Cup.

21:08 Kaya ng Pinoy lumaban kasama ng mga best players sa mundo.

21:12 Kaya ng Pinoy.

21:12 Thank you so much, Hailey and Ina, for your time.

21:16 And for, of course, waving our flag at the FIFA Women's World Cup.

21:20 Kapamilya, once again, I'm proud of you guys.

21:22 Tuloy ang laro!

21:24 [Music]

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