Goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel swears there is tremendous pressure in the country’s quest to retain the ASEAN Women’s Championship in June on hostile ground.
The Filipinas recently had a nine-day training camp at the Mall of Asia Football Pitch in preparation for their title defense and they are set to fly to China in April for a friendly tournament.
“I think that there’s always pressure whether you’re coming in as a defending champion or trying to take that championship from someone else. I think it is a privilege to play in a high-stakes like this and be able to play against amazing players,” McDaniel said during a press conference in Singapore on Tuesday.
“We’re looking to defend the title for sure and we’re going up against great competition so it’s going to be tough but we want to bring it home.”
Defending the title will be easier said than done as the Filipinas will be up against four-time champion Thailand, three-time winners Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Singapore, host Indonesia, and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finalist Australia.
Yet the Philippines also became stronger after their ASEAN Women’s Championship title run.
The Filipinas clinched their first win in the World Cup in 2023 and made it to the quarterfinal of the Asian Games for the first time in history during the 19th Asiad in Hangzhou, China.
Apart from the ASEAN Women’s Championship, the Filipinas are set to compete in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers from 23 June to 5 July and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand from 9 to 20 December.