THE preparation for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup will begin in earnest for the Philippine team with the three major tournaments for the team being part of the build-up.
What's next for Pinay booters?
Philippine Football Federation president Mariano "Nonong" Araneta said the preparations will start as soon as the AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign is done, with the women’s squad also playing in the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi in May, the AFF Women’s Championship in Manila, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September.
Araneta said the goal is for the team that suited up for the Asian Cup to take part in the tournaments, although the PFF also recognizes that some players also have commitments with their clubs and schools.
“I think depende ‘yan sa availability but we will make it a point to the players that this is part of the preparation for the World Cup,” said Araneta during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “I think lahat ng players are willing to sacrifice again for another 15 months just to play in the biggest spectacle in women’s football.”
Araneta said that apart from the World Cup preparations, a SEA Games gold is definitely one of the targets of the federation following the impressive campaign in the Asian Cup.
The Philippines placed fourth in the 2019 SEA Games held in Vietnam, with Sarina Bolden, Quinley Quezada, and Eva Madarang the notable players who were in the roster. Vietnam and Thailand were the top two placers in the competition, but were relegated in the repechage of the Women’s Asian Cup this year.
“I think if they see the importance of the SEA Games, because we will tell them na wala pa tayong gold ever since sa football, hopefully this will be history also in the SEA Games. Dapat sabihin natin ‘yun,” said Araneta.
Araneta also expressed the PFF’s willingness to compensate the players who will take part in the build-up in an effort to field in the most prepared team possible for the World Cup that will take place in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, 2023.
“We are willing to compensate them especially ‘yung mga nagtatrabaho na just to be with the team. Hindi biro ‘tong kalaban. We’ve played against Australia and Australia is one of the best. Lahat ng teams doon, ka-level nila Australia or better than Australia.”
PFF general secretary Edwin Gastanes is optimistic about the quality of players that will be playing in the three competitions with the enormous amount of talent the Philippines already has.
Aside from the current players in the Women’s Asian Cup, Gastanes bared that about 60 players attended a PFF-supervised tryouts in the United States.
The number of homegrown players are also deep, and the policy of the United States not to approve visas prevented them from joining the national team in California for the build-up to the Asian Cup.
“I think the team is in good hands. We have a very deep roster,” said Gastanes.
For the SEA Games, Gastanes said there is a strong chance that the core of the 2019 team will be playing in Hanoi including Bolden and fellow Japan league player Quinley Quezada, and Manila-based players Inna Palacios, Sara Castaneda, Anicka Castaneda, and Camille Rodriguez.
“Six of them are there and I can say that about 10 of the players who are based in the US, we can talk to them to come and join the team because of their willingness also. There’s a very good chance that the same team will be there except for a few,” said Gastanes.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph