Filipinas stepping up to the plate

The Philippine national women’s football team isn’t settling for a participation trophy in its second appearance in the FIFA World Cup.

Team captain Hali Long said the Filipinas are ready to show how much they have improved since the 2023 World Cup in New Zealand.

The Philippines secured a ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil after beating Uzbekistan 2-0 in the play-in match of the AFC Asian Cup in Australia last week.

“This next time, there’s a little bit more expectation on us.” “We made some big shoes for ourselves to fill,” Long said.

“It’s another opportunity to show what Philippine women’s football is about. Now it’s about believing we deserve to be there.”

In 2023, the Filipinas failed to make it out of the group stage of the World Cup with a 1-0-2 win-draw-loss record.

The Philippines has more than a year to prepare and assemble the best squad available for the World Cup.

A few camps and friendlies are expected for the Filipinas as well as participating in the 20th Asian Games in Japan starting on 19 September.

But the most exciting part of the Filipinas’ second World Cup is that star striker Sarina Bolden is expected to return to the squad after making a full recovery from her anterior cruciate ligament injury.