HEARING THE Philippine National Anthem and Derek Rae's commentary, where he mentioned the names of the players from the Philippine Women's National Football Team in FIFA 23, is a godsend for Filipino football fans.
Now they can create a virtual simulation where they can play as the Filipinas and challenge the very best that the world has to offer. It's even more convenient now as Filipinos can subscribe to Xbox's Game Pass, costing Php119.00 per month, instead of buying a new console and the official game.
Given the ease in acquiring FIFA 23, we can imagine the Philippines stunning the Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe-led United States or beating the most established teams in Europe like England and France, for us to lift the FIFA Women's World Cup trophy.
But before we could experience the dream, we need to first assess on the players that were included for the PWNFT's FIFA 23 roster.
Who are the players featured in FIFA 23?
Based on the default settings, the following players have been included as of June 28, 2023.
Here's a screenshot of the current setup, featuring the main XI as well as the reserves and substitutes.


The major players namely Sarina Bolden, Olivia McDaniel, and Hali Long have been included in the list, though there are some notable exclusions and some flawed rankings.
Midfielder Sara Eggesvik is one player that was left out in the squad alongside the others like Jaclyn Sawicki, Kaya Hawkinson, and Angela Beard.
Then when it comes to ratings, Katrina Guillou deserves more given her contribution in recent matches.
However, this could all change in the succeeding weeks/months, when the official rosters have been revealed and when the outcome of the World Cup is all set.

Formation and setup
The default settings for the Philippines focus on a traditional 4-4-2 shape, with emphasis on a fast build-up and a balanced defensive shape.
This setup means that the Philippines would organize their defense on the midfield third, while players are positioned to prepare for a swift attack upon recovering the ball. Be sure to keep the ball though as a single turnover would be costly especially against an opposition gifted on the counterattack.
The fast build-up also means that the Philippines relies on the forward runs of both their forwards and their wide players and the Filipinas have the key players for this gameplan, though this could eventually change once you master the players in your arsenal.

Dissecting key players
By judging at the overall stats, Sarina Bolden is definitely going to be your star player in offense.
She currently boasts a 75 overall rating, the highest in the Filipinas roster and she likewise has the most well-rounded physical attributes.
81 acceleration, 82 sprint speed, and around 70-72 in terms of strength and stamina means that she will serve as the team's workhorse upfront.
These tools could also allow players to flex her skill set on the wide areas, where she can outmuscle and run past opposing full-backs.
In terms of dribbling, Bolden has a three star rating on her moveset and weak foot, meaning that players need to be cautious when using fancy maneuvers, though you can use the outside of her foot to score goals.
To compliment her physical stature and her forward runs, the Philippines has two wide players, who can also make key runs to support the Bolden and McDaniel tandem upfront.
Both Quinley Quezada and Tahnai Annis have around 70+ ratings in pace and finishing making them ideal for the current setup of the Filipinas. The former has better crossing skills, which could be use alongside Bolden's aerial abilities.
With a 4-4-2 formation, means that the Philippines uses two versatile central midfielders namely Lemoran and Jessica Miclat, with the latter serving more as an offensive threat, with her movements upfront and her ability to pull the strings behind Bolden and the wide players.
Meanwhile Lemoran's numbers would make her ideal as a pivot dictating the tempo from deep.

Dissecting other players
Dominique Randle's numbers would make her into a solid option in defending counterattacks given her 77+ rating in her acceleration and sprint speed, combined with her 81 strength, however she isn't the best ball-playing defender from deep as her playmaking numbers are in deep red.
The same can be said with Hali Long though her numbers would reveal some weaknesses in terms of her pace, something that the likes of Alex Morgan could capitalize on.
As for players off the bench, Guillou has the pace and speed to match Bolden, but lacks a clinical finish base on her shooting numbers. Meanwhile one of the Castaneda siblings has the crossing skills suited for the right flank, but also suffers from finishing issues.
Overall the Filipinas roster in FIFA 23 has notable strengths and weaknesses that fans can further dig deep and hopefully we could see the full potential of this roster once new updates have been released.
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