Get to know two of the Filipinas’ defenders for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
There is a saying that defense wins championships. If that's the case, the Philippine women's national football team might be well on its way to becoming championship-caliber thanks to its collection of athletic, tenacious, and crafty defenders.
Two of them are Angela Beard and Alicia Barker, who both maybe half-bloods but are nonetheless full Pinoy in heart and in fighting spirit. And, come the FIFA Women's World Cup, expect these two to go all-out to stop the opposition from attacking and scoring.
With that being said, let's take a closer look at two of the Filipinas' most dependable defenders:
Name: Angela Beard
Position: Defender
Age: 25
Birthplace: Australia
Club: Western United (Australian A-League Women)
Faced with a choice between Australia, ranked no. 3 in the world, and the Philippines, ranked no. 46 overall, Angela decided to take the path of most resistance. She chose the Three Stars and the Sun to honor her Filipino heritage. And that’s despite her being with the Australian national team from quite some time already and playing practically here entire pro career in the Land Down Under. Now, she is hoping her talents can help the up-and-coming Filipinas shock the world in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Let 'em know
Angela may be a newcomer to the national team, but she is definitely feeling right at home. And that’s mostly a credit to her ever-supportive teammates.
"I feel like I've made a lot of strong friendships and a lot of good connections,” said Beard about her fellow Filipinas in a video produced by the Philippine women’s national football team. “The girls are not only talented footballers, but they're very welcoming, very friendly, and the fan group, the community, and the Philippines have really accepted me and supported me in a way that makes me feel valued and respected."
Pass the sass
If you think Angela is only good at football, think again! She’s an athlete through and through, and if her Instagram posts are any indication, she can probably do well in any sport.
That swing leads us to believe that Angela's been playing golf for quite a while now.
Looks to us she can also do long-distance running.
Skateboarding perhaps?
Surfing probably isn't a problem for her either.
All we can say is, Angela's one sporty defender!
Keep slaying
Things weren't always all roses for Angela. Like all of us, she's had to deal with a lot, particularly in her younger years. Fortunately for her, she found football, which she says became her escape. She opens up about that part of her life here in this clip:
Name: Alicia Barker
Position: Defender
Age: 25
Birthplace: Kirkland, Washington, USA
Club: Pacific Northwest SC
Alicia is a lot like Beard: a half-blood who is Filipino at heart. Like her fellow defender, the US-born American-Filipino chose the Philippines over the chance to potentially join a football powerhouse. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alum, who played for the Fighting Illini in US NCAA Division 1 football, will bring much-needed athleticism to the Filipinas’ defense, along with a meticulousness borne out of her being a scientist. Yes, that’s right. Alicia is an Associate Scientist at Evotec Biologics, where she has been plying her trade for three years now.
Let 'em know
Alicia is many things, and a former gymnast is one of them. Impressively, she has found a way to fuse gymnastics and football through her now well-known flip throw. And yes, it's a throw preceded by a—what else?—a flip. A front flip to be exact.
“When I was younger, I did gymnastics and I started when I was six, and then I did it off and on and a little bit in high school. And one day, my gymnastics coach was like, ‘You should try to do a flip throw’ because she knew I played soccer, and a decided to try it. I’ve been doing it ever since,” said the 25-year-old defender in a video produced by the Fighting Illini Athletics to explain the origin's of Alicia's flip throw.
Pass the sass
Ok, which footballer—male or female—can do a front flip perfectly before throwing the football a good distance away? That alone makes Alicia one of one.
Take a look:
Keep slaying
Alicia was pretty good at football even as a youngster, so it shouldn't be a surprised that then Fighting Illini football coach Janet Rayfield was excited to have a young Alicia onboard. Watch how Rayfield describes our very own:
This article is part of a series that puts the spotlight on each member of the Filipinas' FIFA Women's World Cup squad. The previous editions featured the country's top goal scorers, goalies, forwards, and defenders. Stay tuned for the next one.