The Philippines women’s national football team, the Filipinas, competed in the finals of the AFF Women’s Championship and over 8,000 fans showed up at Rizal Memorial to show their support.
It was a rare opportunity for Filipino fans. Not many international tournaments are held in the country, and it isn’t every day that our teams make it to the finals. Naturally, the fans went all out.
Here are three of the best ways the Filipino fans showed their love to the Filipinas at the AFF Women’s championship final.
Pull out the signs & wave the flags!
So many fans showed up with signs last night, all with different ways to cheer on the Filipinas.
The big signs were our personal favorites, reading “Ultras Filipinas” and “Abante Babae”. Sitting all the way on the opposite side of the field, the words could be read crystal clear.
We’re certain the players would look back to these signs throughout the game too, reminding them of the nation behind them.
Not to mention the countless flags being waved all throughout the game.
“Sweet dreams are made of these, who am I to disagree?”
— Ultras Filipinas (@UltrasFilipinas) July 18, 2022
Thank you for making the dream happen last night, @PilipinasWNFT.
Kampeon ng AFF Women’s Championship, at kampeon ng aming mga puso. 🇵🇭#PilipinasMalupet #LabanFilipinas #AbanteBabae #UF12 pic.twitter.com/ooSq67yn0E
And let’s not forget about the fans who were wearing their signs too.
Filipinas making history in Philippine sports. Always there for it. #LabanFilipinas! pic.twitter.com/8aitbn0l9G
— Gretchen Ho (@gretchenho) July 17, 2022
The effort in making, wearing, and waving all these signs was one of the best ways to support the team.
Spotlight on the Filipinas
One of our favorite moments happened within the last few minutes of the game.
After Sarina Bolden scored the game-sealing third goal, the fans out in the bleachers slowly started turning on their flashlights. Quickly, the entire stadium took notice and immediately went on to do the same.
When the final buzzer blew, the crowds were lit up, looking as though the nation was shining on our newly crowned champions.
Ole ole ole!
Last but definitely not least were the cheers of the crowds. Throughout the entire 90 minutes, the Filipinas’ fans were continuously cheering, clapping, and even making waves all the way from the bleachers to the grandstands.
Before the game started (and before the fans could even get inside Rizal Memorial), the fans were already outside jumping and singing in unison.
Earlier: Cheers for the Filipinas outside the Rizal Memorial Stadium! Ahead of the #AFFWomens2022 finals! @gmasportsph pic.twitter.com/2n1dI8cRen
— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) July 17, 2022
Throughout the game, the energy only continued to grow as more and more fans showed up to the stands until we accumulated to over 8,000 voices cheering together.
The best seats last night during the #AFFWomens2022 #LabanFilipinas pic.twitter.com/dhNeHQZQlZ
— JP (@dumidyeypee) July 18, 2022
And at the end of the game, of course, we had to sing in pride of who our athletes were: Champions.
We were sitting right next to this group cheering in the video, and let me tell you: they were the fans that started this chant. Before the final whistle had even been blown, they were already singing the champions’ song, and by the end of the game, the entire grandstand was following their lead.
These are the kinds of moments sports fans live for—showing support in all kinds of ways. The amount of Filipinos who showed up yesterday is an example of how passionate our country’s fans can be.
Being one among over 8,000 people all cheering for the same cause reminded me of the best part of being a sports fan. It isn’t even in the winning moments—sometimes, it’s just about feeling like you’re part of the crowd, and more than that, part of the win.
Banner photo from Ultras Filipinas on Twitter.