SAN DIEGO — The Philippine Women’s National Football Team is heading to San Diego, California for a high-intensity training camp this June, squaring off against NWSL pace-setters San Diego Wave on June 4 and NISA side Albion San Diego on June 9 as the Filipinas shift into full gear on their road to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The camp will also feature a talent identification program the week prior, with head coach Mark Torcaso and his staff screening approximately 50 players — whittled down from over 150 inquiries — drawn from across the United States and beyond.
The ID camp targets both U20 prospects for a future Asian Cup qualifying pool and senior players capable of strengthening the current national team panel, continuing the pipeline that has already produced talents like Sarina Bolden, Jael-Marie Guy, Alexa Pino, and Ari Markey.
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez underscored the Federation’s full backing of the preparation program.
“PFF is committed not just to bringing the Filipinas to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but to sending them there ready to win games and bring joy to our kababayans — and that means giving Coach Torcaso and this team every resource they need to prepare at the highest possible level,” Gutierrez said. “The San Diego camp is exactly the kind of bold, purposeful preparation this team deserves.”
The camp at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center — an Olympic-standard facility that has supported the national team’s development program in recent years — marks the Filipinas’ first assembly since clinching World Cup qualification through the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. It follows a landmark six months that saw the team claim gold at the Southeast Asian Games and navigate a demanding qualification campaign with distinction.
“Playing the powerhouse San Diego Wave is a great opportunity for a lot of our players who are playing against a top-level NWSL club,” said head coach Mark Torcaso. “It gives them an opportunity to test themselves against one of the best clubs in the USA, but also the potential of other people seeing them in this type of game and the opportunity that this may provide them.”
The Wave presents a formidable yardstick. Currently third in the current NWSL standings, the Wave features a constellation of international talent including Canada’s Adriana Leon, Brazil’s Ludmila, and France’s Kenza Dali — a virtual trial by fire against a side Torcaso rates alongside the world’s best women’s clubs.
Notably, Filipinas prospect Nya Harrison, whose Philippine citizenship application recently advanced to a congressional hearing, is also on the Wave roster, adding another layer of significance to the June 4 fixture.
The second match against Albion San Diego on June 9 offers a complementary challenge — one where the coaching staff intends to focus on ball retention, attacking transitions, and controlling the tempo of play. Together, the two fixtures are designed to stress-test both defensive organization and offensive fluency, giving Torcaso’s staff crucial data points ahead of the World Cup buildup proper.
The Filipinas will field a 30-woman roster with its 2023 World Cup core of team captain Hali Long, goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, Angie Beard, Jaclyn Sawicki, Katrina Guillou, Chandler McDaniel, etc. Young rising stars during the 2025 SEA Games and 2026 Women’s Asian Cup Alexa Pino, Jael-Marie Guy, and Ariana Markey are also in the team.
Returning to the Filipinas are 2023 World Cup defender Reina Bonta, 2025 FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup veteran Inday Tolentin, and Katana Norman. Chardonnay Curran, Camryn Penn, Keira Wagner, and Kyra Murphy are the debuting Filipinas in the friendlies.
Here is the Filipinas’ squad list for the two San Diego friendlies:
GOALKEEPERS
MCDANIEL, Olivia Alexandra
MEOLLO, Nina Andrea
AKER, Gabrielle Lyn
FIELD PLAYERS
PASION, Isabella
SERRANO, Ma. Meryll Krysteen
FRILLES, Carleigh
SAWICKI, Jaclyn Katrina
WUNSCH, Sofia Nicole Harrison
BEARD, Angela Rachael
COWART, Jessika Rebecca
LONG, Hali Moriah (c)
HAWKINSON, Kaya
CARPIO, Alessandrea Casimere
MCDANIEL, Chandler Blue
GUILLOU, Katrina Jacqueline
RAMIREZ, Mary Louise
PINO, Alexa Marie
CURRAN, Jourdyn
OCA, Natalie Rae
OKA, Azumi
CESAR, Malea Louise
NORMAN, Katana Ameorfina
GUY, Jael-Marie
TOLENTIN, Dionesa
BONTA, Reina Gabriela
MARKEY, Ariana Isabella
CURRAN, Chardonnay
PENN, Camryn
WAGNER, Keira
MURPHY, Kyra
