Players from UW-Milwaukee, Marquette compete with Philippines in World Cup debut

JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read

Former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee goalie Olivia McDaniel made six saves, and even in defeat the Philippines made history in the FIFA World Cup early Friday morning.

The country was making its first appearance in World Cup play — men or women — and fell to Switzerland in the group stage, 2-0. The roster features 18 American-born players among the 23, and the city of Milwaukee is well represented.

That includes California native Olivia McDaniel and sister Chandler, who also played at UW-Milwaukee and subbed into the match for Philippines. Olivia played goal for the Panthers from 2016-19, playing in nine matches overall; she was a backup to UWM all-time victories and save percentage leader Elaina LaMacchia in 2018 and 2019.

Switzerland scored on a penalty kick late in the first half and registered a close-range shot for a second goal in a dominant second half, following up two McDaniel saves.

Olivia McDaniel of Philippines looks on during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group A match between Philippines and Switzerland at Dunedin Stadium on July 21, 2023 in Dunedin / Otepoti, New Zealand.
Olivia McDaniel of Philippines looks on during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group A match between Philippines and Switzerland at Dunedin Stadium on July 21, 2023 in Dunedin / Otepoti, New Zealand.

Olivia was in net when her team won a 4-3 shootout over Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinal of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2022, with the winner earning the berth in the World Cup. All told, she's now played in 16 international matches for the Philippines.

Players can establish citizenship for World Cup play often through bloodlines. The Philippines recruited the U.S. heavily, even holding a training camp in Irvine, California, in 2021. That happens to be less than a half hour from the McDaniels' hometown of Corona.

Chandler transferred to UWM after two years at Virginia Tech and started all 19 games in 2018. She had a game-winning goal against Hong Kong in the Asian Cup in late 2021 as part of the qualifying process, but she suffered a torn ACL during the competition and just returned to the national team in April after a 16-month rehab.

Marquette's Ryley Bugay also on the roster

Ryley Bugay, an Indiana native who becomes the first Marquette University soccer alumna to earn a spot on a FIFA Women's World Cup roster, didn't play in the first match but also has a spot with the team. She's a medical student at Indiana University.

Bugay has been playing with the Filipino national team since 2018. She played in 71 career matches for the Golden Eagles from 2015-18.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Players from Milwaukee, Marquette with Philippines in 2023 World Cup