“This is a group that will test the team’s caliber, but that’s exactly where the Filipinas have always thrived. They don’t shy away from challenges, they fight through them. Hard work got them here, and that same fight will take them for another deep run.” – PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez
The Philippine Women’s National Football Team is bracing for intense battles against Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, and powerhouse China in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, from September 14 to October 2, but the Filipinas are determined to meet the challenge with the same resilience and fighting spirit that have defined the program in recent years.
Gutierrez thanked the Philippine Olympic Committee, all the players in the active roster and reserve list who took part in the camp, the coaching staff, the government led by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, and corporate sponsors GoTyme Bank, Adidas, AIA, 2GO, Studio 300, Sip, and Sip+ for providing the Filipinas the best preparation possible, and most especially the fans as the team embarked on this journey to Asia’s grandest sporting stage.
The Filipinas made their Asian Games debut at the 19th edition in Hangzhou, China in 2023, reaching the quarterfinals in their first appearance in the continental multi-sport event.
Defensive midfielder Bella Pasion (left) and newcomer Camryn Penn (right)
Head coach Mark Torcaso stressed that the quadrennial meet is a key building block toward the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“We want to try and be better than we were at the last Asian Games, which was quarterfinalist, but we also understand it’s out of the FIFA window, we have a lot of players unavailable, and we’re going to test a lot of our young players and new players,” Torcaso said. “We’re really using the Asian Games as an opportunity for our team to grow, to be ready for the World Cup.”
For Torcaso, the tournament also marks a full-circle moment, as his first assignment with the national team came at the previous Asian Games.
“I think this is a little bit different from when I first started because for me it was new for the team to have a new coach,” he said. “Now that I’ve been here for three years understanding what Filipino football is about, the players are about, this is a different Asian Games for us.”
PWL MVP Alex Carpio (left) and veteran midfielder Bhebhe Lemoran (right).
For Filipinas forward and newly-minted PFF Women’s League MVP Alex Carpio, the Filipinas football talents are recently exported abroad makes her optimistic that they can make their mark in the Asian Games.
“I think the fact that we’re able to send Filipinas to the top leagues in other countries, it’s just another sign that Philippine football is really growing,” Carpio said. “Thankfully, through all the hard work that even the past Filipinas have done, going to the World Cup before, and just going back to their clubs and showing what Filipina excellence can be like.”
Following the Asian Games, the Filipinas will head to a training camp in Peru in October, which Torcaso described as a critical stretch in the team’s World Cup preparations.
“For us it’s about the next block of four to five weeks,” he said. “It’s almost like what a World Cup campaign could be like if we’re playing three, four, five, six games in a tournament. Peru is going to be a fantastic opportunity because the altitude is going to be extremely high, and it tests us potentially like what Brazil could be like.”
Meanwhile, PFF announced adjustments to the final squad list ahead of the opening game. Veteran midfielder Bhebhe Lemoran, fullback Janly Fontamillas, and teenage goalkeeper Leah Bradley have been added to the roster, replacing injured defender Angie Beard, as well as midfielder Tea Pidding and goalkeeper Gaby Rourke.
The Filipinas open their campaign against Uzbekistan on September 14 at 1:00 p.m., before facing Hong Kong on September 17 at 6:00 p.m. and China on September 21 at 3:00 p.m. All matches will be played at the Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium, with kickoff times reflected in Philippine Standard Time.
