Sarina Bolden became the first Philippine female player to score in World Cup history, helping her team to their first win in their first appearance at the world stage. She is considered the talisman of the Southeast Asian team.
From female track champion to World Cup star
Sarina Bolden celebrates scoring against New Zealand. Photo: AP.
In the 24th minute of the match between the Philippines women's team and the New Zealand women's team in Group A of the 2023 World Cup, from a pass from her teammate, Sarina Bolden jumped high to head the ball, causing the opposing goalkeeper to fumble and let the ball fly into the net.
The Philippine players celebrated enthusiastically, and the world press continuously mentioned Sarina Bolden because she became the first Filipino player to score at the World Cup.
It was even more meaningful when this goal helped the Philippines win against host New Zealand, thereby keeping alive their hope of advancing, in their first time participating in the world tournament.
Sarina Bolden was born in 1996 in Santa Clara, California, USA. Her father, Robert, is American and her mother, Sherry Calbo, is Filipino.
Bolden showed early talent for soccer while attending Milpitas High School. She was also a fast runner and won the Santa Clara Track and Field Championship in 2015.
Bolden continued to play soccer at Loyola Marymount University and became a star, making 58 appearances. She helped the team win the 2016 California College Championship and finish second in 2018.
Bolden’s college career brought her to the attention of the world. In 2019, she joined Swedish club Sandvikens IF and began playing professionally. Her journey continued with stints at Xinbei Hangyuan (Taiwan, China), San Francisco Nighthawks (USA), Elfren Saitama (Japan) and now Western Sydney Wanderers FC (Australia).
In fact, only Africa has not left Sarina's mark. "Playing for many teams in different countries and experiencing different football styles has helped me mature," Sarina shared.
At the national team level, she has played for the Philippines since 2018, when she was still in school. Sarina scored 22 goals before going to the 2023 World Cup, sharing the record with Quinley Quezada for most goals. But the goal against New Zealand helped her surpass and become the best scorer in the history of the Philippine team.
The 27-year-old was also considered the Azkals' "lucky charm" when she successfully executed the decisive penalty kick against Taiwan (China), bringing the home team to the world's biggest football stage for the first time, before making the world talk thanks to her goal against New Zealand. "I will remember this moment forever, for the rest of my life," Sarina confided.
Play like a warrior
Anyone who regularly watches the Philippine team compete in recent years will be impressed with striker Sarina Bolden.
The 1m73 tall girl seemed to be tireless in her activities, moving constantly and even participating in defensive duties.
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No one expected us to win, we were used to being the underdogs. I think we had to work hard, be gritty and not give up. It wasn't pretty football but we didn't stop until the end.
Sarina Bolden
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“Sarina doesn’t stay in the box, she actively moves to create space for herself and her teammates. In addition to her impressive scoring ability, her speed makes it difficult for any defense.
What's even more impressive is that Sarina is willing to drift to the flanks to penetrate the opponent's defense and can pass well with both feet," commented coach Tony Popovic, who is currently coaching Sarina at Western Sydney Wanderers FC.
Coach Alen Stajcic of the Philippine women's team also could not hide his excitement when talking about his Filipino-American student: "I have more tactical options with Sarina in the lineup. Sarina plays well both as a center forward and when supporting her teammates on the wings. This helps the opponent's defense to be pulled apart and our players on the other side will take advantage to run up."
Meanwhile, her teammate in the Philippines Jessica Miclat praised Sarina Bolden as a warrior: "We all feel the abundant energy radiating around her, it gives us more confidence and strength. Sarina is a true warrior on the field, nothing can stop her from fighting."
Happy with my choice
Few people know that Sarina was once called up to the U23 US team, but then she decided to play for her motherland, the Philippines. “When I found out I had the opportunity to play for the Philippines team, I thought a lot because I was completely unfamiliar with the country where my mother was born.
But in the US, the level of competition is too great because they are the number 1 team in the world, with hundreds of players better than me. On the contrary, the Philippines is a good opportunity for me to go to the World Cup, create influence and build my name," Sarina recalled.
Besides the professional issue, Sarina said that she chose the Philippine team because she wanted to connect with the rest of herself: “I was born and raised in America, I am Americanized but I am half Filipino, I have relatives here and that is also the reason why I became a part of the Philippine team. Until now, I am really grateful and happy about my decision, not only in the football aspect, but also in the human aspect”.
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