Ramona Bachmann’s first-half penalty and Seraina Piubel’s strike in the second half led Switzerland to a 2-0 win over the Philippines on Friday in the Women’s World Cup opener for both teams.
Bachmann drilled the ball into the left side of the net on a penalty kick moments before halftime as Piubel added a second-half goal, scoring on the rebound from a missed shot by Coumba Sow that ricocheted off Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.
The Group A encounter was the first game inside Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium in New Zealand, 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.
With the victory, Switzerland moves into a tie for first place in Group A with New Zealand and improved its chances of moving on to the round of 16.
The Philippines played gamely in their Women’s World Cup debut but face a hard climb to get into the knock-out stage of the tournament.
Switzerland will face Norway, which lost in an upset to New Zealand, in its second group-stage match, in Hamilton. The Philippines will face an energized New Zealand in Wellington. Both matches are on Tuesday.
