Philippine Women's National Football Team head coach Mark Torcaso pointed to the strong performance of several young players as a promising buildup for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
It wasn’t the ending the Filipinas had envisioned, but head coach Mark Torcaso chose to see silver linings as the Philippines’ ASEAN Women’s MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 title defense came to an abrupt end.
“We came to this competition with some younger, inexperienced players, but this was a really good learning curve for all of us,” Torcaso said in the postgame interview following the Filipinas’ 1-1 draw against Myanmar.
[ALSO READ: Filipinas crash out of ASEAN Women's MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 with draw vs Myanmar]
Needing two goals and a victory to advance to the semifinals, the Filipinas fell short despite a late equalizer from Nina Mathelus in the 71st minute to match Win Theingi Tun’s first-half strike.
The result left the Philippines third in Group B behind Myanmar and the Australian U-23 squad, who advanced into the next round as the top two finishers.
“We started a little bit too slow. As we saw in the second half, we put more pressure on them (Myanmar) and probably could have come away with a goal or two. But that's the reality of the situation we’re in,” Torcaso said.
Despite the early exit, the 44-year-old Australian expressed optimism about several young players who made an impact in the tournament.
Mathelus scored her first senior international goal, while Adelaide Wyrzynski had one goal and one assist.
Azumi Oka played all 270 minutes in the three group-stage matches, and 16-year-old Tea Pidding made her debut for the senior national team.
Torcaso also pointed out that the performances were a welcome sign as the Filipinas shift their preparations towards the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
[ALSO READ: Filipinas drawn with host Australia, South Korea, Iran in 2026 AFC Women’s Asia Cup]
“We had several players who scored goals and others who played significant minutes, and as head coach of the national team, it’s very important to see that because it helps me make decisions on these players for the Asian Cup next year,” Torcaso said.
[ALSO READ: Mark Torcaso vows full preps as Filipinas brace for tough group in AFC Women’s Asian Cup]
The Philippines are drawn with the Aussies, South Korea and Iran in Group A, with their first match against the Matildas on March 1 in Perth.