Brisbane Roar’s Angie Beard has played every minute at the back for the Philippines at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, embracing the challenge of facing Asia’s top sides on Australian soil.
Brisbane-born Beard earned three caps for the CommBank Matildas before switching allegiance to the Philippines in 2023, eligible through her Filipino mother.
On Sunday evening, she and the Filipinas limited her former national side to just a single goal in a narrow 1-0 defeat. The match was the tournament’s blockbuster opener and smashed the Women’s Asian Cup attendance record, drawing 44,379 fans to Optus Stadium in Perth.
It was a result to be proud of against the Australian side, who sit 26 places above them in the Women’s FIFA rankings. For Beard, the match was unforgettable.
“It was beautiful. We had our Filipino representative singing the national anthem and she did a fantastic job.
“We had all kinds of people supporting the Philippines and Australia. I think anytime you’re in that kind of environment, that’s why you play football. It’s the pinnacle of sport, playing against a great opponent in front of a great crowd,” she said.
In the Filipinas’ second group match, they were overcome 3‑0 by Asian heavyweights South Korea, on the Gold Coast. The Taegeuk Ladies scored twice early and controlled much of the first half, but after the break the Philippines side found more joy in attack and limited South Korea to just one further goal. Beard played a key role from left-back, creating attacking chances through set pieces and crosses and winning several free kicks to push her side forward.
“I think we regrouped and reiterated our principles and what we wanted to do at half-time. Our subs injected a bit of energy into that game that we needed in the heat and pressure of the moment. It was really uplifting.”
The Gold Coast fixture carried extra meaning for Beard, who soaked up the experience of playing in national colours in front of family, friends, and even Roar teammates.
“I looked into the stands and saw my parents, my partner, my friends. I saw Momo [Hayashi] in the crowd too. A lot of people were cheering and supporting me. It really lifted me up for the next one.”
Back-to-back defeats in Group A mean the Philippines now face a must-win clash with Iran if they want to stay in contention for 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification. The Filipinas are now chasing a place in the Asian Cup knockout stage as one of the two best third-placed teams.
Beard and her national teammates will face Iran in Sydney at 7pm AEST.
“It’s going to be all about converting chances, keeping it close,” she said.
