TWO Fil-foreign booters will reinforce the Philippine national women’s team in the Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship, to be held from May 1 to 10 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Fil-American Joana Houplin and Fil-Canadian Jesse Shugg banner the team and will be suiting up for the 25-member squad, formed by coach Buda Bautista.
Buda, who replaced Ernie Nierras, said Houplin played for US W-League club Seattle Sounders and is the top-scorer 2013 AFF Women’s Championship with seven goals.
Shugg, who is a Miami University graduate, came through with a brace to lead the Philippines to a 6-0 rout of Iran in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers two years ago.
Other reinforcements in the team include Pleasanton’s Raylene Larot and University of North Florida’s Hanna Parado.
Other members of the team are Green Archers United’s Natasha Alquiros and Haya Ibarra, Sikat’s Aisa Mondero, University of the Philippines’ Mary Rose Obra, Marie Navea-Huff and Nicole Adlawan, La Salle’s Inna Palacios, Irish Navaja and Kyla Inquig.
Far Eastern University’s Sharmine Siaotong, Jean Kadil, Mea Bernal, Alesa Doliho and Analou Amita are also there with University of Santo Tomas booters Marice Magdolot, Marianne Narciso, Jennizel Cabalan, and Pearl Aguilar.
Ateneo’s Nona Amoncio, La Salle-Zobel’s Sara Castañeda, and Rachelle Labajo are also listed.
They will go up against host Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia in Group B of the tournament, serving as the region’s main event, in the absence of women’s football in the Southeast Asian Games.
This will be their first international campaign since the Myanmar SEAG in late 2013.