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    PH coach Alen Stajcic's contract is expiring at end of Asian Cup

    Let's give this guy a lifetime deal
    Jan 31, 2022
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    Philippines coach Alen Stacjic and his staff console Chinese Taipei players after the shootout loss to the Filipinas.

    MARIANO 'Nonong' Araneta considers himself lucky to be part of Philippine sports history as chef de mission of the delegation that produced a record four Olympic medals, including the country's first-ever gold, at the Tokyo Games.

    Yet that Olympic ecstacy didn't prepare the longtime chief of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) for another miracle down the road - the unlikely scenario of a football team of the country getting to the main draw of the Fifa World Cup.

    "Never in my wildest dreams," said Araneta, a day after the Philippine women's team punched an unlikely ticket to the 2023 Fifa World Cup after beating Chinese Taipei on penalties in their AFC Asian Cup quarterfinal.

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      Araneta said the PFF sent the Filipinas to a three-month training camp in California and brought in a new coach in Alen Stajcic, not necessarily with the goal of going deep in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup and clinching a World Cup spot.

      "'Yung papasok tayo sa World Cup? Wala sa isip namin 'yan," Araneta admitted. "Ang sa amin lang, we have to put up a competitive team for the Asian Cup. Kailangan natin ang coach to prepare the team. Yung hindi sana tayo tatambakan."

      What they didn't expect was how the team's fortunes would change drastically in the hands of Stajcic, an Australian manager of Serbian descent who led the Matildas to two World Cup appearances and an Olympic stint as national coach.

      Stajcic the 'missing link'

      Stajcic, 48, turned out to be what Araneta considered as the 'missing link' for a talent-laden Philippine team that had been together for some time yet had been dealt with a mix bag of results.

      Araneta said the PFF, through top patron Jeffrey Cheng, considered a couple of candidates from Europe before tapping Stajcic along with his two longtime lieutenants - assistant coach Nahuel Arrarte and Italian strength and conditioning coach Luca Tonetti.

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      "We wanted somebody who can take the team to the next level," Araneta said.

      Safe to say, Stajcic has done more than that.

      The 1-0 win over Southeast Asian power Thailand and the six-goal romp against Indonesia, which sandwiched a courageous stand against Australia, put the Filipinas in position to do the unthinkable before the dramatic shootout win against Taiwan.

      That the Philippines, a lowly 64th in the world rankings, is now in the Final Four and the Matildas, perennial contenders who sacked Stajcic unceremoniously in 2019, are not made the Malditas' feat more impressive - and no doubt more pleasurable for their new coach.

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      But more than the wins, what impressed the PFF staff was how Stajcic was as a person.

      "Mabait, and he's very humble," said Araneta. "We were very lucky to have a coach like him. Ibang level ang pagtuturo at ang tagal ng training. And the players, they love playing for him. Magpapakamatay sa kanya."

      According to PFF media officer Cedelf Tupas, Stajcic's tactical knowledge, maturity, and work ethic are second to none. Coach and his small staff have also brought a lot of science into the program, painstakingly measuring the work rate of the players both in training and in games through GPS.

      "Ang decision-making ng team, ang laking pagbabago. Alam kung saan ipapasa in every single situation, alam kung saan pupunta ang bola," said Tupas. "Ang galing [n'ya] sa tournament management, load management, may science na to it.

      "But most of all, he's a true advocate of women’s football," he added. "He's not out there angling for high-profile jobs in the men's game. He's genuinely concerned with women’s football, and he wants to help raise its profile."

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        Stajcic's 'Win the Moment' mantra has no doubt changed the course of football in the Philippines, and it doesn't end here. The Filipinas take on mighty South Korea in India three days from now, eyeing another important milestone of a first-ever appearance in the AFC Women's Asian Cup finals.

        That South Korea game, or a game after that if there is still any, will also mark the end of Stajcic and Co.'s contract with the PFF. Araneta said the Aussie manager and his team were only signed for the Asian Cup campaign, although he assured that negotiations for a new deal will surely follow.

        A no-brainer, really. Sign these guys for life.

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        Philippines coach Alen Stacjic and his staff console Chinese Taipei players after the shootout loss to the Filipinas.
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