THE Philippine women’s national football team will play two friendlies against Asia powerhouse Korea on Friday and Sunday in Icheon City.
The Filipinas will feature a mix of holdovers and new players in the two friendlies made possible by the invitation of Korea federation, whose women's national team is ranked No. 20 in the world and fifth in the Asian Football Confederation.
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Sarina Bolden will banner the team which is at No. 39 in the latest Fifa Women's World Rankings, along with young strikers Nina Mathelus and Chayse Ying.
Mathelus, only 15 years old, has been making waves with the Filipinas U-17 team, once scoring a hat-trick during last year’s AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup qualification match.
Ying, 19, is a freshman of the Notre Dame women’s football team in the US NCAA. Her team recently won the Atlantic Coast Conference crown.
“It is always a great opportunity to have our Filipinas come together and rally behind the country to play against our Asian counterparts, or one of the top national teams like South Korea,” said PWNT coach Mark Torcaso.
“We welcome this invitation as we also welcome the new faces of the Filipinas to our national team. Matches like these prepare our players for major events next year and continue to develop our team and our players,” Torcaso added.
Full Filipinas lineup
Also getting call-ups were team captains Hali Long and Tahnai Annis, goalkeepers Olivia McDaniel, Inna Palacios, Gabrielle Baker, and Nina Meollo, defenders Maya Alcantara, Angela Beard, Reina Bonta, Rhea Chan, Jessica Cowart, Cathrine Graversen, and Sofia Harrison, midfielders Sara Eggesvik, Kaya Hawkinson, Katrina Guillou, Charisa Lemoran, Natalie Oca, Alexa Pino, Quinley Quezada, and Camille Samirul, and forwards Isabella Bandoja, Alessandrea Carpio, Carleigh Frilles, and Chandler McDaniel.
The Taegeuk Ladies beat the Filipinas, 5-1, in their previous match during the group stage of the Asian Games last year in Wenzhou, China.
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