Katrina Guillou very nearly wrote her name in Philippine sporting history when she put the ball into the back of the net just 16 minutes into their first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup match against Switzerland on Friday afternoon.

Guillou rounded Swiss goal-keeper Gaëlle Thalmann and thumped the ball into the net, and celebrated briefly, before the game officials quickly nullified her goal for offside. The Filipinas eventually lost, 2-0, at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand for a losing start to their World Cup campaign.

"I think we started off pretty strong, we made things pretty difficult for them. We were popping into spaces and covering a lot of the gaps, so I think that was good," said Guillou after the game in an interview with Radyo Pilipinas.

"Unfortunately, we let in two goals in 90 minutes. But I think for a first World Cup and a debutante game, there's a lot of things we can take and look forward to into our next game."

• Football: Filipinas fall to Swiss in first ever World Cup match

Guillou, who plays club football for Piteå IF in Sweden's Damallsvenskan, wants the team to get on the scoreboard officially when the Philippines returns to action on July 25 against co-host New Zealand.

"Definitely looking to get onto the scoreboard for sure this time. It was a close call, but we definitely had some good moments going forward," she noted.

"Maybe tidy up some things in the back. There's always plenty of things we can improve on going into the next game."

Philippines coach Alen Stajcic had no complaints about Guillou being called offside, but acknowledged that it would have made a major difference if the goal had stood.

The Filipinas opened the game with great energy and defended well against a Swiss team that featured several players who compete in top European leagues. It wasn't until the 45th minute that the Philippines' resistance was broken, when Switzerland was awarded a contentious penalty that Ramona Bachmann converted.

"We were a little bit unlucky with the offside goal early in the game as well. I think it was offside, but if that call goes our way, maybe the game changes a little bit as well," Stajcic said.

"[If] we're 1-nil up and we're leading and a little bit of scoreboard pressure on them could change the whole game. I think if we go into halftime, and there's probably more pressure on them than there is on us. They're expected to win, they're favored in this game, and for them to get out of this group, they have to beat us," he added.

But Stajcic was quick to add that Switzerland earned the victory, which Seraina Piubel clinched in the 64th minute when she scored off a loose ball after two quick saves by Olivia McDaniel denied Ana Maria Crnogorčević.

"They earned their chances through good play. Maybe they had some luck, but ultimately, they made their own luck," said Stajcic.

The Filipinas will try to bounce back on July 25 against co-host New Zealand.

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