THE Philippines goes for a sweep of the group stage when it goes up against perennial Southeast Asia contender Thailand in the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship on Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
After blowout victories in the past three matches, the Filipinas are expected to be tested in the clash against Thailand at 7 p.m. which is expected to have a different vibe.
The Philippines is on top of the table of Group A with 12 points, while Thailand is in second with 10 followed by Australia with seven as the group stage winds down.
Even though it has booked a semifinal berth, PWNT will look to sweep Group A and take the top spot.
Vietnam and Myanmar face off on Wednesday in a Group B affair of unbeaten teams.
Thailand, runners-up in the last edition of the AFF Women's Championship in 2019, needs at least a draw to clinch a semifinal berth, with Australia still having a shot to progress as it goes up against Malaysia at 7 p.m. at the City of Imus Grandstand.
Alen Stajcic wants a big boost ahead of the semifinals.
The Filipinas were tested in the game against Indonesia where it conceded a goal before pulling off a 4-1 win on Sunday night.
Head coach Alen Stajcic said the win was a learning experience for the players.
“The motivation doesn’t come from the coach. It comes from the playing group. I’m happy with their resilience because ultimately, it’s the players who perform at the pitch. They are the ones who had to pick themselves up. The coach can’t do that. There’s no magic wand at halftime. We just talked about sticking with our principles and doing the things that got us to the point we are at. The rest is up to the players.”
“The players really deserve full credit. It’s not easy to score against you when you are a heavy favorite to win. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with that. For us to remain calm and composed and showing that resilience is an important sign for the team,” said Stajcic.
Thailand defeated Malaysia, 4-0, last Sunday to be ahead in the race for the last semifinal berth in Group A.
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