Philippines coach Alen Stajcic is embracing the occasion of a Women's World Cup clash with hosts New Zealand, despite 30,000 fans cheering against his side.
The Filipinas have been enjoying bright support of their own on their maiden World Cup campaign, including the majority of the Dunedin crowd for their 2-0 loss to Switzerland last Friday.
On Tuesday night they will face the Football Ferns, riding high from an upset 1-0 win over Norway in the tournament opener.
"We want to inspire the country," New Zealand midfielder Malia Steinmetz said.
"Just want to keep the ball rolling and keep inspiring more."
The Ferns set a record for New Zealand's highest attendance at a football game at Eden Park, which came alive when Hannah Wilkinson scored.
"We're back on Earth and ready to fight again," coach Jitka Klimkova said.
Stajcic knows another sold-out stadium is waiting in Wellington, with the vast majority in the Kiwis' corner.
"Fortunately we only have to play against 11," Stajcic said.
"We want to crash the party. It's not really their party. It's everyone's party. It's our party as well.
"It's a brilliant occasion for football and for New Zealand ... but as motivating as it is for New Zealand, it is for our team as well."
Showing the depth of support, there are roughly the same number of Philippines-born Kiwis (70,000) as people born in Australia living in New Zealand (75,000).
In Wellington, fan groups supporting the Southeast Asian nation are planning colourful displays complete with drums to ensure they are not drowned out.
Stajcic said the team was mobbed on arrival at Wellington airport by a "couple of hundred Filipino fans greeting both teams".
While Philippines are widely viewed as making up the numbers at the World Cup, they will jump into contention for the knockout rounds if they can score a win of their own.
Stajcic said his side's most recent clash against New Zealand, a 2-1 loss in the US last September, showed victory was not out of the question.
"That game was a real turning point for the team, for me to know that we can rise to this level," he said.
The other two teams in Group A, Switzerland and Norway, will face off in Hamilton later on Tuesday night.
Norway must avoid defeat to stay in the tournament.
On the other side of the Tasman, the two teams yet to start their tournament - Colombia and South Korea - will kick off their campaigns in Sydney.
