MANILA, Philippines – With several major tournaments lined up this year, the Philippine women’s football team looks to sharpen its match fitness and gain valuable experience as the Filipinas see action in the 2023 Pinatar Cup in Murcia, Spain starting Wednesday, February 15 (Thursday, February 16, Manila time). 

Joining the World Cup-bound Filipinas in the third edition of the invitational tournament in San Pedro del Pinatar are Iceland, Scotland, and Wales.

World No. 25 Scotland took home the title in 2020 as 16th-ranked Iceland finished second that year, while No. 32 Wales bottomed out at fourth in 2022 as Belgium came out on top.

The 53rd-ranked Philippines will battle Wales for its first assignment at 3:30 am on Thursday (Manila time) at the Pinatar Arena.

“It’s very exciting. These teams are highly ranked above us, but it’ll give us a good feel of the teams that we’re gonna play in the World Cup like Norway, and Switzerland, and the European teams so that’ll be exciting,” said Olivia McDaniel, the Filipinas’ 25-year-old goalkeeper.

Aside from the World Cup in July, the Filipinas will also compete in the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournamentin April in Tajikistan, the Southeast Asian Games in May in Cambodia, and the Asian Games in September in China.

For their inaugural campaign in the round-robin pocket tournament, Filipinas head coach Alen Stajcic opted to call up 21 players from the squad that clinched the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship title last July 17.

Kiara Fontanilla and Inna Palacios join McDaniel as the usual three goalies of the Philippine team.

Maya Alcantara, Jessika Cowart, Malea Cesar, Sofia Harrison, Hali Long, Eva Madarang, and Dominique Randle were the defenders retained by Stajcic from the previous tournament.

Joining Tahnai Annis, the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship team captain, in the midfield are Anicka Castañeda, Sara Eggesvik, Carleigh Frilles, Kaya Hawkinson, Camille Rodriguez, and Jacklyn Sawicki.  

Powering the offensive charge of the Filipinas are returning forwards Sarina Bolden, Isabella Flanigan, Katrina Guillou, and Quinley Quezada.

Rounding up the 25-player squad are two defenders in Alicia Barker and Reina Bonta, and two midfielders in Reinna Gabriel and Meryll Serrano.

“It’s been really fun getting to be back with the team. We’ve had ourselves a little break and it’s been really nice,” said McDaniel.

“The break was really, I think needed so we can all just relax and rejuvenate after the last year we had, it’s been really busy so being back together with the team has been really nice.”

After Wales, the Philippines will face Scotland on Saturday, February 18, at 10 pm, and then will close out with a clash against Iceland on Wednesday, February 22, at 3:30 am (all Philippine time).

Wales will field four battle-tested players with over a hundred caps for the national team.

Jess Fishlock of OL Reign leads the count with 137 appearances for Wales, followed by Chelsea’s Sophie Ingle (123), Watford’s Helen Ward (104), and Tottenham Hotspurs’ Angharad James (103).

Scotland, meanwhile, will miss out on the services of Arsenal duo Jennifer Beattie and Kim Little, who both retired from international football recently, but will have the presence of Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea), Caroline Weir (Real Madrid), and 2022 Scotland Women’s Player of the Year Sam Kerr (Rangers). – Rappler.com