Stajcic said he was immensely proud of the commitment of his players as they showed no signs of nerves despite the grandeur of the occasion.

 

"You know, to come to the World Cup for the first time in your history - in men's or women's football - and put on a performance like that and show courage and heart is the most important thing and obviously over time, we will get better and more experienced and develop our skill level to beat teams like Switzerland," said the Australian.

"To come to this level and play against players from Europe, and we know Europe is the strongest region in women's football now and has been for the last three or four years. 

 

"They (Switzerland) have some players who are playing for Arsenal, PSG and Barcelona, and we have four or five starting players who haven't had a club for over a year so for us to compete against a team like that is miraculous really."

In admitting Switzerland deserved their win, Stajcic said his team also showed their worth. 

 

"I thought Switzerland were the better team but they also had some fortunate moments, like the penalty which was a close call. 

 

"First time you come to the World Cup, you expect nerves, you expect people to suffer from the occasion but I think our players didn't show that today.

"You saw true spirit, true heart, a team that never gave up - that were proud of their jersey, their flag, proud of the people they represent and I think that is the most important thing."

 

Up next for the Philippines are co-hosts New Zealand, who opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Norway on Thursday.