CEBUANA MAKES WAVES IN SEA GAMES FOR NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuana forward Mallie Ramirez delivered a crucial late goal for the Philippine women’s national football team in their 1-0 win over defending champion Vietnam in the 2025 SEA Games.

But the moment carried deeper meaning for her family who has long taken pride in her Cebuana heritage.

Ramirez, who scored at the 90+4 mark to keep the Filipinas in contention for a semifinals berth, was born in Cebu.

She was raised here in her early years by her single mother before they moved to California.

READ: AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026: Filipinas drawn into tough Group A

Early PH grounding

According to her uncle, Luigi Ramirez, that early grounding shaped both her character and her connection to home.

“It was a moment I’ll never forget,” Luigi said in an interview with CDN Digital.

“I made sure to see her play live—the first time in Manila during camp, and now here in Chonburi to watch her represent the Philippines.”

Luigi shared that despite growing up in the United States, Mallie never drifted from her Cebuano roots.

She understands and speaks Cebuano, and she remains vocal about her pride in being Cebuana.

“The pride in her being a Cebuana comes from being raised by my sister,” he said.

“Even though she [went to] the US, she understands and speaks our language. The heritage is important and I could not be more proud of her.”

Ramirez’s decisive goal came after a long free kick from Olivia McDaniel, followed by headers from Hali Long and substitute Alessandrea Carpio.

When the rebound fell in front of her, Ramirez reacted quickly and sent the ball into the net—her second goal of the tournament and her second in as many senior caps.

It was her second goal in the SEA Games after scoring one amid their loss to Myanmar.

“I’m very proud to be able to do this for my team and for my country,” Ramirez said in a post-match interview with the Philippine Football Federation.

Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso credited the squad’s composure and the contribution of its young attackers, noting that they worked hard to find the breakthrough late in the match.

The Filipinas next face Malaysia in a must-win game on December 11 at 5 p.m., with a semifinals berth on the line.

2025-12-10T06:58:52Z