The national women’s football team is plotting a long-term plan that aims to discover a new breed of players who will represent the country in major international tournaments.

Veteran goalkeeper Inna Palacios said having young, competitive players will help the squad become competitive in the years to come.

Palacios was among the participants of the week-long training camp at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium along with FIFA Women’s World Cup players Hali Long and Jaclyn Sawicki.

“If you give them that opportunity, that platform, they’re gonna see it’s possible and when they see it’s possible, you don’t know where your dreams can take you, like what the team did,” Palacios said.

“We went to the World Cup and it’s just as simple as dreaming and aspiring to be more.”

Far Eastern University players Kyza Colina, Lyka Cuenco and Janly Fontamillas, alongside De La Salle University’s Jessica Pido, Erma Balacua, and Filipino-foreigners Judy Connolly and Sabine Montenegro were among the participants in the training camp that aims to make the Filipinas a contender in various international competitions like the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

Long agrees, saying with a tournament in Turkey in October, a few home matches in November and December will help the younger talent grow and mature for future call-ups.

“I feel like it’s a good step, it’s a good direction we’re heading into a busy end of the year and a very busy next year,” Long said.

National team director Freddy Gonzalez said a talent identification camp will be conducted in the United States next year to get more players from overseas.

The camps have been a staple for the Filipinas under former team manager Jefferson Cheng.

“We will have a talent identification camp in January,” Gonzalez said.

“Our goal is to get back to the semifinal of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and qualify for the World Cup so we have to push everybody regardless if they are foreign or local.”