Cambodia should brace for the Philippine women's national football team.
The goal is no longer just a finish in the podium of the Southeast Asian Games, but a gold medal.
In a span of about a year, the Philippine women's national football team has shown that it has what it takes to compete against some of the best teams in Asia and across the world. They plan to display that flair again in Cambodia.
Familiar names
On Saturday, the Filipinas released their lineup for the biennial meet.
Included in the roster are familiar names who have competed for the national team in several tournaments. These include goalkeepers Olivia McDaniel and Kiara Fontanilla.
Hali Long anchors the defense with Maya Alcantara, Alicia Barker, Reina Bonta, Malea Cesar, Sofia Harrison, and Eva Madarang.
The Filipinas will also have a stacked midfield with Anicka Castañeda, Sara Eggesvik, Carleigh Frilles, Isabella Pasion, Jaclyn Sawicki, Natalie Oca, and Sabine Ramos.
Sarina Bolden, Isabella Flanigan, Quinley Quezada, and Chandler McDaniel, who has been showing little signs of rust even after a serious injury, compose the team’s attack.
Noticeably missing are mainstays Tahnai Annis and Katrina Guillou, who had to stay with their respective teams abroad.
The Filipinas, who arrived in Phnom Penh on Sunday, has already put in their first training ahead of their matches.
They do possess the advantage of momentum, as they were just a few weeks removed from the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where they scored three wins and gave up no goals.
“I know it’s a short turnaround but everyone’s excited and the energy feels good right now in the first training,” said Bolden.
First SEA games gold?
The Filipinas have already tasted success in the SEA Games, winning the bronze medal in the last edition of the tourney.
In the 2021 SEA Games, the Philippines finished second in Group A behind Vietnam, securing a semifinals spot in the women’s football tournament. The Filipinas, however, would fail to advance to the finals after falling short against Thailand, 3-0.
Still, they would end the tournament on strong note with a 2-1 victory over Myanmar in the battle for bronze.
Given their success over the past year, however, the Filipinas are easily considered as one of the favorites to the win the gold medal this time around. They are also chasing history as this could mark the country’s first gold medal in the women’s football tournament.
“We’re definitely expecting to do better than what we did,” said Bolden. “It’s been a long time since we got bronze and we really earned it, so I’m hoping we go for gold and I believe we can do it.”
For this year's SEA Games, the Philippines is once again placed in Group A of the competition along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Indonesia.
They open their campaign on May 3 against Myanmar at the RCAF Old Stadium in Phnom Penh.
The SEA Games could also be crucial for even bigger aspirations, as it's the national team’s final tournament before heading over to Australia and New Zealand for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July.
Filipino fans cannot wait to see the Filipinas make more history.
(GM)