40 years after their debut appearance, Philippines have won their first women's football gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games.
After Wednesday's decider against Vietnam at Chonburi Stadium ended in a 0-0 draw, the Filipinas would prevail 6-5 in the penalty shootout after Trần Thị Thu's effort was saved by Olivia McDaniel -- the only failed conversion from 12 attempts.
As has been the case on several occasions in the past, it is McDaniel's name that will be written in the history books but all 23 members of the squad have now attained heroine status with the unprecedented achievement.
The triumph also provides the Filipinas with some form of redemption after they suffered bitter disappointment in August's ASEAN Women's Championship -- officially known as the ASEAN MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 -- when they entered the tournament as defending champions only to be eliminated in the group stage.
Vietnam, who were also among the favourites at the ASEAN Women's Championship, fared better back then as they reached the semifinals -- only to fall to eventual champions Australia U23 -- meaning they too were looking to issue a statement of their own, especially given their status as the tournament's most-successful team with eight previous golds.
In the SEA Games' keenly-contested Group B, Vietnam and Philippines both finished on six points alongside Myanmar and only qualified by virtue of having superior goal differences.
Interestingly, their meeting in the group stage had seen Philippines prevail 1-0 courtesy of an injury-time winner from Mallie Ramirez.
The Filipinas were hardly unfamiliar with this stage, having reached the semifinals in two of the previous editions since the knockout round was introduced in the women's tournament.
Nonetheless, they had also suffered disappointment with a group-stage exit last time out in 2023, just a year after they won their first ASEAN Women's Championship and only a couple of months before their FIFA Women's World Cup debut.
As they defeated Thailand in the semifinals on Sunday -- also on penalties -- Philippines were already assured a silver medal that would also have been a history-making feat, although they would ultimately go all the way against the Vietnamese.
The gold medal match was not without controversy, with Vietnam having a seemingly-legitimate goal ruled out for offside.
Nguyễn Thị Bích Thùy looked to have handed the Vietnamese the lead just before the half-hour mark when she headed home a right-wing delivery from Ngân Thị Vạn Sự only for the strike to be ruled out by the assistant referee's flag.
Replay suggested that Bích Thùy was well onside, leaving the Vietnamese feeling a sense of injustice and bemoaning the lack of VAR at the SEA Games.
Still, Philippines' gold medal triumph will ignite renewed belief that they are back on the right track in a sport that is hardly among the country's favourites, especially after their Women's World Cup debut, inaugural AFC Women's Asian Cup semifinal appearance and first ASEAN Women's Championship title in the past four years.
Not to be completely outdone, the men's football team after reaching the semifinals for the first time since 1991 -- when the competition was still a senior tournament.
Although the Filipinos ultimately succumbed to Vietnam in the semis, they can still claim a momentous medal in the bronze medal match against Malaysia on Thursday.