THE Philippine women’s football team leaves for Vietnam on Sunday as it defends its crown in the 2025 ASEAN MSIG Serenity Cup.
A mix of youth and experience will suit up for the Filipinas as they look to go back-to-back after winning the 2022 crown on home soil at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
A couple of Filipinas mainstays, however, will not be seeing action led by Sarina Bolden, the leading goal scorer of the last ASEAN edition due to an ACL injury. Katrina Guillou, Sara Eggesvik, and Meryll Serrano are also not part of the squad.
But midfielder Quinley Quezada, forward Chandler McDaniel, defender Hali Long, and goalkeepers Olivia McDaniel and Inna Palacios are still with the team for the ASEAN Women's Championship that also has three players in midfielder Isabella Alamo, defender Lyka Cuenco, and forward Tea Pidding are coming from the youth program.
Midfielders Jaycee DeFazio and Adelaide Wyrzynski, and defenders Azumi Oka, Aaliyah Schinaman, and Adelaide Wyrzynski will also be making their seniors debut.
Also part of the 23-woman squad are goalkeeper Nina Meollo, defenders Malea Cesar, Rhea Chan, and Kaya Hawkinson, midfielders Alessandrea Carpio, Charisa Lemoran, and Bella Pasion, and forwards Nina Mathelus and Dionesa Tolentin.
The Filipinas open their campaign in Group B against Timor Leste on Thursday in Phu Tho, Vietnam. They will also be pitted against the Australia U23 squad on Sunday, August 10, also in Phu Tho.
The Philippines will also be battling Myanmar on Wednesday, August 13 in Haiphong to finish the group stage.
The top two teams in each of the two groups will advance to the crossover semifinals on August 16 in Haiphong. The third-place match and the title game will be on August 19 in Haiphong.
The Philippine Football Federation held a send-off event at the Studio 300 in Makati with president John Gutierrez wishing the best for the team.
The Under-23 men’s team that placed fourth in the ASEAN Mandiri Cup and the Under-16 boys team that captured the crown in the Lion City Cup also attended the send-off.
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