Torcaso pledges loyalty to Filipinas

Mark Torcaso is not planning to entertain any offers while he is in charge of leading the Philippine national women’s football team to international glory.

The 44-year-old Australian said he remains committed to the Filipinas as they are not just defending their ASEAN Championship crown but are also preparing for future tournaments like the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand in December and the AFC Asian Cup in Australia in March.

The Filipinas are playing in a must-win game against Timor-Leste at press time at the Lach Tray Stadium in Haiphong, Vietnam.

“I don’t have a club team, but I’m the coach of the Philippines and that’s what I focus on. My job is to get this team better and ready for the Asian Cup and ready to go to the World Cup again,” Torcaso said.

“So, my focus is purely on the Philippines. That’s the badge that I wear and that’s what I wear proudly right now.”

Having multiple duties is nothing new to international football circuit. In fact, when Torcaso became the head coach of the Filipinas in 2023, he was also the main tactician for Western United FC in the A-League in Australia.

But in decided to give up his coaching responsibilities at Western United in December 2023 so that he can focus on the Filipinas.

With a competitive team and a focused coach, the Philippines made great strides and is now ranked No. 39 in the International Football Federation.

The Filipinas’ ultimate goal is to qualify in the 2027 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Torcaso also defended his players after questions were raised that mistook them for naturalized players.

Players such as team captain Hali Long, Quinley Quezada, Kaya Hawkinson, and Olivia and Chandler McDaniel, have strong Filipino roots despite growing up in the United States and are also competing in the PFF Women’s League.

“Every one of our players is Filipino, that’s it. It doesn’t matter where they are, where they were born,” Torcaso said.

“Everyone has a connection to the country, that’s the most important thing. They represent the country with passion and pride, and they’ve shown that for many years.”

Regardless of who they are facing, Torcaso stressed they would give their all as they continue evolving as one solid unit.

“Every game is extremely important for all of us. We don’t focus on the other opponents. We focus on us, we focus on what we need to do,” Torcaso said.