Quezada has been through the Filipinas' ups and downs.
Helping the Philippine women’s national football team reach the FIFA Women’s World Cup was quite the journey for Quinley Quezada.
And the 26-year-old forward recalled how she nearly missed the national team’s historic match and victory over Chinese Taipei during the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
After helping the team secure a 1-0 victory against Thailand in its opening match of the tournament, Quezada began experiencing some soreness in her throat.
A COVID-19 test yielded a positive result, forcing Quezada to undergo a weeklong isolation in her hotel room.
As a result, the dependable forward was unable to participate in the Filipinas’ matches against Australia and Indonesia.
And, in an interview with Optus Sport, Quezada admitted how the unfortunate turn of events devastated her, so much that she spent days distraught.
"I was in my room all alone and I was crying, and then coach called me [and] he's like, 'How are you doing?' I'm like, 'I'm not okay.’" Quezada recalled.
Who would be?
Imagine working so hard, only to be sidelined by an illness. Imagine being part of the rebuilding years and making it past the hard-luck times, only to be felled by a flu-like sickness right in the middle of an important tournament. Imagine being confined in a room, helpless and hopeless as your teammates chase history.
But life has a way of making things right.
Just a few days before the Filipinas were to take on Chinese Taipei, Quezada received medical clearance and was released from isolation.
Now, the veteran was in a race against time. After her bout with COVID, she had to readjust. She had to get her bearings back. She needed to get ready. And she had one day to do that. One training session to get back into her groove.
"The next day, we had our game, and thankfully I could start,” said Quezada.
Things could not have gone any better for Quezada.
From crying in isolation and wondering if she could ever again play in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, the ZFK Red Star Belgrade stalwart was finally back where she truly belonged: at the pitch, fighting for flag and country with her Filipinas teammates.
And it almost felt like vindication for Quezada as she gave the Filipinas a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute. Her lone goal proved to be critical as it gave the national team wiggle room to survive Chinese Taipei's late goal that forced extra time and that penalty shootout that is now part of Philippine sporting lore.
The Filipinas would go on to win that match on Sarina Bolden's game-winner and qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“It really felt like everything we had worked for up until that point had worked like we did it, we made history," said Quezada.
"We qualified for the World Cup and that was our main goal leading up to that tournament. And so having that happen, I just lost it. I get chills now thinking about it,” she added.
That's understandable. The Fil-American forward was already one of the team's veterans at that point, and just as the Filipinas were turning things around, COVID-19 very nearly took from Quezada the chance to make history with her teammates. It would have been heartbreaking.
Until it wasn't.
Quezada is part of history now. And nothing can take it away from her. Not even COVID-19.
(MDB)