The Philippine national women’s football team needs to be in peak form whenever they enter the football pitch.
National coach Alen Stajcic said this after the Filipinas wrapped up their first trip to South America with a draw and a narrow defeat to Chile in two friendly matches in preparation for their games in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in August.
“We need to be at our peak in that respect, in that part of the game, every single time we go across the field and we know you know we had some great leaders out there,” said Stajcic in a statement.
Stajcic believes the team learned valuable lessons after the Filipinas, the reigning AFF champions, fought La Roja Femenina to a 1-1 draw in Viña Del Mar last Saturday. They then absorbed a 0-1 defeat to the Chileans in their rematch at the Estadio de la Pintana.
The contest saw a questionable red card on midfielder Sara Eggesvik early in the second half.
“It has a first half that lacked some crucial elements, but a second half that showed all the requirements that you need in terms of desire and intensity and motivation moving forward,” said Stajcic.
The Australian coach said the Philippine side has never played against a South American opponent before, and this was an excellent opportunity for the team.
“It’s the hotbed of football and it has been for a very long time and for us to go down a player, probably a bit unfortunately, but that happens in a game of football sometimes and the way we responded and rebounded after that moment is one of the most encouraging things I have ever seen from this team for a long time,” added Stajcic.
The Filipinas were able to create numerous opportunities to score in the second half, after Eggesvik was shown a red card.
They pressed high and won the ball in good areas and always threatened in set pieces.
One the team’s veteran, Hali Long, stood out with the leadership that she provided during the game.
“Hali Long was one of them. It’s nice to see one of the captains of the team stand up and lead with courage and determination and hard work when we most needed it. It’s a cauldron when you’re coming to South America,” said Stajcic.
Chile is also using the match to prepare for the continental playoff tournament in New Zealand early next year.
The team is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, MVP Sports Foundation and team manager Jeff Cheng.