AUCKLAND – Australian coach Alen Stajcic’s faith in the Filipinas remains unshaken, believing in their capability to rise to the challenge as they brace for their all-important meeting with the hometown Ferns in three days at the Sky Stadium in Wellington.
“Despite the result, we have a lot of belief,” reiterated Stajcic on Sunday of his charges’ 0-2 loss to Switzerland in their unforgettable FIFA Women’s World Cup Group A opening match last week at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in the chilly southern city of Dunedin.
“We all knew that it was an amazing performance (by the Filipinas) for a debut in the World Cup,” stressed the Australian tactician, recalling how his players displayed their poise against the fancied Swiss early on in the match.
“There are so many people who may have questioned how nervous the team was going into the first game, and if they did belong and should be here,” he said, “but I think we showed that we belong at this level.
“For a first effort in the World Cup, I really thought our players were amazing. Everyone back home in the Philippines and all their fans should be really proud how they represented the country.”
He pointed to the early going when his wards showed great resolve and resiliency in hanging in there against a squad 20 rungs higher than them in the FIFA women’s world rankings at No. 26.
“In the first 15 to 20 minutes, I thought we were exceptional and (these) probably were the best moments for us,” the Aussie mentor said. “It just shows how well we prepared as a team.”
With the lessons learned from the last match against the Swiss, the Filipinas continued to refine their play at their base camp training facility at the Olympic Park here on Sunday before heading for Wellington on Monday on the eve of their game against the hosts.
The last time the two sides met, the Ferns emerged with a come-from-behind 2-1 win in a friendly held on Sept. 6, 2023 at the Titans Stadium in Fullerton, California.
The Filipinas will face not only an inspired side still riding on the momentum of its 1-0 upset of Norway at the Eden Park here last week, but also the hometown fans who are expected to fill every nook and cranny of 34,000-seat arena.
But the Filipinas are also no strangers to overcoming adversity as shown by their epic accomplishment in capturing the 10th AFF Women’s Championship trophy just over a year ago in Manila.
After being relegated to a semifinal showdown with defending champion Vietnam in dropping a close 0-1 decision to Thailand in the group stage, the Filipinas recovered strongly to dethrone the vaunted Vietnamese 4-0 in the semis.
They completed their comeback vanquishing their Thai tormentors 3-0 in a lopsided finale at the jampacked Rizal Memorial Stadium for the country’s first major triumph in international play.