THE challenge of finding good players who can play the indoor game of futsal has been met.
And the next objective, which is to compete with Southeast Asia’s best is coming.
Dutch futsal coaching legend Vic Hermans said this as the composition of a 14-member national women’s futsal team got finally formed for the November ASEAN Football Federation Women’s Futsal Championships in Manila, expected to prepare the Filipina booters for their coming stint the FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup the country will host in 2025.
“The next challenge is preparing the team. In the Philippines, we did not have futsal before. The last two years, we set up some thing and the challenge is done,” said Hermans, who talked about his ideas on the national squad with Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez and team manager Henry Moran on Tuesday at the Amici Restauranrt in Greenhills, San Juan.
Tuloy Foundation standout Isabela Bandoja is one of the local standouts in the roster with Fil-Danish booter, Cathrine Graversen.
Gaversen, plays as a defender or a midfielder for Turkish Women’s Football Super League club Asya Spor and has represented the Philippines at the international level since 2019.
Also making the lineup are Mykaela Abeto, Kayla Santiago, Vrendalle Nuera, Princess Cristobas, Lanie Ortilla, Claire Lubetania, Agot Danton, Jada Bicciero, Althea Rebosura, Hazel Lustan, Louraine Evangelista, Alisha del Campo, and Angelica Teves.
The national squad has been formed with the support of the Philippine Football Federation and the Henry Moran Foundation.
The selected booters came from training pool of player that trained at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna.
The Philippine team hopes to better its runner-up finish in the PFF Tri-Nations Cup last October, 2023.
During the ASEAN meet, the no. 59 Philippines will take on squads that are ranked higher.
Leading the charge is Thailand, the sixth best side in the world, while Vietnam is no. 11. Indonesia is at no. 24 and Myanmar occupies no. 37.
