A Fired-up Philippine national women’s football team is preparing to take part in a competition in Europe for the first time.
Coach Allen Stajcic is getting the Filipinas sharp and and ready for the Pinatar Cup 2023 from February 15 to 21 in San Pedro del Pinatar in Murcia, Spain.
The team’s buildup since last year is expected to make the Filipinas a different team this time around.
“Lots of good things, but the depth of the squad and the competition for spots going forward is one that will propel the team even further next year,” said Stajcic.
The Filipinas are making a bid to sustain their progress for the FIFA Women’s World Cup as they will be facing higher-ranked European sides like Wales, Scotland and Iceland.
The Filipinas’ first match will be against 32nd-ranked Wales on February 15. Their next opponent will be no. 25 Scotland on February 18, before they wrap up their campaign against 16th-ranked Iceland on February 21.
“We’ve raised the expectations of the country which is fantastic, we’ve raised the expectations of the playing group, which is even better now. It’s about the players competing not just for the country, but competing for spots, increasing the depth and the flexibility, people able to do different roles and understanding roles even better and I think we saw a little bit of that against Papua New Guinea, being able to be more composed on the ball to be able to execute the things that we want to happen,” added Stajcic, following their training camp in Australia.
All matches will be played at the Pinatar Arena Football Center in San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, Spain.
Scotland qualified to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, but missed out on next year’s tournament.
Wales and Iceland have yet to qualify for the FWWC.
“It’s been a great year, we put it in our back pocket and be proud of our efforts and give ourselves a pat in the back because we really have achieved a great deal, but the reality is we know how much we have to work harder to climb up that mountain next year,” said Stajcic.
Philippine Football Federation Mariano Araneta Jr. said the Filipinas’ stint in the Pinatar Cup is another opportunity for the team to grow.
“Competing in the Pinatar Cup is a great opportunity for the Filipinas to familiarize themselves with European teams ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” said Araneta.