The Philippine national women’s football team’s depth will be tested in the 20th Asian Games starting 19 September in Nagoya, Japan.

Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso said that, with the Asian Games not falling within the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) window, he and the coaching staff will have a hard time securing the services of overseas-based players such as Sara Eggesvik, Alexa Pino, Jael-Marie Guy, Angie Beard and Maryll Serrano.

Thankfully, the Filipinas’ two friendly matches against San Diego Wave and Albion San Diego in California on 4 and 9 June gave them an idea of the areas they need to improve.

“The plan at the Asian Games is to further test our squad roster, as many of our professional club players and college players will be unavailable due to their respective team commitments because the Asian Games is outside the FIFA window,” Torcaso said.

Torcaso added that testing the Filipinas’ mettle against the two California-based clubs provided valuable insights on how to improve the squad.

“We got to play two very different opponents. Against San Diego Wave — probably one of the best club teams in the world — the match provided continued development in our defensive game, our compactness, and the way we want to defend against very good teams. The girls were resilient and strong, and we were very happy with the outcome,” Torcaso said.

“It gave us more time on the ball and the opportunity to continue developing how we create chances in the front third. We also gave opportunities to many players — including Kyra Murphy, Camryn Penn, Keira Wagner, and the returning Maysen Veronda — to assess what roles they can play within the team.”

The Filipinas are hoping to make a deeper run in the Asian Games after advancing to the Round of 16 in the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, China before losing to eventual champions Japan, 1-8.

The coaching staff can still rely on several veterans, as World Cup campaigners Olivia and Chandler McDaniel, Kaya Hawkinson, and Bella Pasion play for Stallion Laguna FC, while Alessandrea Carpio represents Kaya FC-Iloilo.

The Japanese will be gunning for a fourth Asian Games gold medal, while powerhouses North Korea, China, and South Korea will also be vying for the title.