(UPDATED) The Philippine women's national football team absorbed a tough 2-0 loss to Switzerland in their first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup match, Friday afternoon at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Ramona Bachmann put Switzerland ahead minutes before the halftime break with a penalty, before Seraina Piubel put the finishing touches on the win in the second half for 20th-ranked Switzerland.

The Swiss picked up all three points to join co-host New Zealand at the top of Group A.

It was an emotional debut on the world stage for the 46th-ranked Filipinas, who put together a strong defensive effort all throughout amid wave after wave of attacks from the Swiss. Despite playing their typically disciplined defense, their historic appearance still ended in defeat in front of 13,711 fans.

"For us to compete against a team like that is miraculous, really," Philippines coach Alen Stajcic said after the match. "You saw true spirit, true heart, a team that never gave up, proud of their jersey, proud of the flag, proud of the people they represent, and I think that's the most important thing."

There was very nearly cause for celebration in just the 16th minute, when Katrina Guillou rounded Gaëlle Thalmann and put the ball into the back of the net for a superb finish. However, the Filipinas' euphoria lasted just a few moments as the goal was nullified for offside almost immediately.

Switzerland ramped up the attack from there, with Ana Maria Crnogorčević threatening repeatedly. She nearly put Switzerland ahead in the 37th minute, only to send her attempt over the bar. Two minutes later, her header off a Bachmann free kick went wide.

The Swiss got their breakthrough minutes from half time when the referees awarded them a contentious penalty after Jessika Cowart was called for a foul on Coumba Sow inside the box, following a VAR review. Bachmann stepped up to take the spot kick, sending Olivia McDaniel the other way to put Switzerland ahead.

"I was really focused, and I obviously tried to score," said Bachmann, who plays professional football for Paris Saint-Germain. "But I feel confident in shooting penalties, so I was really calm."

Switzerland poured it on from there, pinning the Filipinas inside their own half and steadily working their way into the final third. The Filipinas kept their composure for the most part, with McDaniel giving a good account of herself while the Swiss missed out on some good chances.

But Switzerland's aggression was eventually rewarded. Crnogorčević was twice denied by McDaniel but the Filipinas failed to clear the ball, and Piubel pounced on the rebound to put the Swiss ahead, 2-0, in the 64th minute.

The entry of Meryll Serrano and Bella Flanigan in the 70th, and Chandler McDaniel in the 80th, gave the Filipinas some life and they pressed forward in the closing minutes in search of a consolation goal. Sofia Harrison came closest, but her attempt in the 85th went wide left.

Stajcic later acknowledged that the complexion of the match may have changed had Guillou's goal stood, and if the penalty had been awarded. But he was gracious in defeat and stressed that Switzerland deserved the win.

"There's no doubt they [Switzerland] are the better team and they should be. I was really proud of the spirit that our team showed," said the coach. "I think we showed that we are competitive, and that's the main thing."

Per FIFA stats, the Swiss enjoyed 64% of the possession and had a whopping 19 attempts on goal, nine of which were on target. The Filipinas had just three attempts, none of which were on target.

The Filipinas will try to bounce back against co-host New Zealand on July 25 at the Wellington Regional Stadium. Switzerland will play Norway on July 25 at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.

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