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MANILA, Philippines – Coach Alen Stajcic expects the national women’s football team to come out fresh even as the Filipinas play their fourth game in seven days on Sunday, July 10.
“We’ve proven the depth of the team,” said Stajcic as the Philippines aims for a semifinal spot against Indonesia in the AFF Women’s Championship.
“The fact that everyone in this team knows their roles and responsibilities, it doesn’t matter who plays and… what position they play. Everyone knows their role and everyone tries to execute the best way they can.”
Game time is 7 pm at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
“We need to win that to ensure we get a good place in the semifinals and make sure we go in with a lot of confidence,” said the 48-year-old Stajcic.
The Philippines, fresh from a methodical 4-0 blanking of Malaysia, holds the top spot in Group A with 9 points and a +12 goal difference
Thailand ranks second in the group with 7 points, followed by Australia (4 points), Malaysia (2 points), Indonesia ( 1 points), and Singapore (1 point).
Only the top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals.
Defending champion Vietnam (6 points) and Myanmar (6 points) lead Group B, followed by Laos (4 points), Cambodia (1 point), and Timor Leste (0 point).
Indonesia assistant coach Selfianus Jacob Riwoe knows his team stands as the underdog against the Philippines.
“They are a World Cup team,” he said of the Filipinas, who nailed a berth in the sport’s biggest stage last January.
“We really want to do our best even though we might not get a win,” Riwoe added via a translator.
The last time the two teams played was in the recent AFC Asian Cup 2022 where the Philippines trounced Indonesia with a 6-0 scoreline.
Sensational newcomer Sara Eggesvik missed that match, but she hopes the team continues to showcase its free-scoring form.
“I expect that we play with the level we know we can play at,” she said.
“I expect that we want to win, I want to perform well so we’ll see how far that takes us.”
A victory over the Indonesians will not just see them seize a slot in the semis, but also at least match the team’s best ever finish in the regional tournament. – Rappler.com
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