WAC 2022: Chinese Taipei 1-1 (3-4 PSO) Philippines

 PUNE – The Philippines Women’s National Team clinched their place to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 after a pulsating 4-3 penalty shoot out win over Chinese Taipei at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex.

Sarina Bolden netted the winning penalty, but it was Olivia McDaniel who loomed large during the shootout with two key penalty saves coupled with slotting her penalty kick.

“It’s an unbelievable achievement of the team,” said head coach Alen Stajcic after the match. “The group is really proud of each other, but we are more proud that we can inspire the next generation of players.”

Quinley Quezada, who made her return to the lineup, delivered for the Philippines with the opening goal in the opening minutes of the second half. A mad scramble to the ball saw Bolden and Katrina Guillou getting touches before the ball fell to Quezada, who flicked it past the goalkeeper.

Quezada, Bolden, and Chandler McDaniel pressed on for the second goal, but could not convert their chances. However with eight minutes left in the match, Chinese Taipei struck the equalizer as Zhou Li Ping latched on an effort from outside the box forcing extra-time.

Both sides were unable to convert their chances with penalties serving as the tiebreaker of which team.

Chinese Taipei netted their first three penalty kicks, while Castañeda and Annis converted their chances. Jessica Miclat and Hali Long saw their efforts saved, before McDaniel forced sudden death, slotting home her kick and denying Su Sin-Yun and Zhou.

Bolden was given the golden opportunity to win it for the Philippines, and unlike her effort against Indonesia, the forward sent it through on goal triggering scenes from Pune all the way to Manila.

With the World Cup slot already secured, the Philippines now eye their place in the final with the semi-final match against Korea Republic, which dispatched Australia, 1-0, scheduled on Thursday at the same venue.

https://pff.org.ph/2022/01/31/wac-2022-chinese-taipei-1-1-3-4-pso-philippines/

AFC Women's Asian Cup - Philippines 1-1 Chinese Taipei - Philippines qualify for FIFA Women's World Cup on PSO !

 

WAC 2022 Broadcast Announcement: Philippines’ Quarterfinals Match Vs Chinese Taipei Live On One Sports

 The Philippine Football Federation is pleased to announce its partnership with Eleven Sports and Cignal TV for the airing of the Women’s AFC Asian Cup 2022 quarterfinal match between the Philippines Women’s National Team and Chinese-Taipei.

The match at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India is scheduled at 10 p.m. Philippine time (7:30 p.m. in India).

Coached by Australian Alen Stajcic, the Philippines is on a historic run in the competition, winning over Thailand (1-0) and Indonesia (6-0) to finish second behind Australia in Group B.

With Australia also reaching the quarterfinals, the competition offers five more spots to the Fifa Women’s World Cup, which means that a victory by the Philippines on Sunday night will seal qualification.

“The PFF is proud of what the team has achieved so far in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022,” said PFF president Mariano Araneta.

“The hard work and sacrifice of the players and the members of the staff have reflected in the results and performances of the team in the tournament. The PFF hopes that, by airing what is probably the most important match in Philippine football history on free television, the team will be able to inspire more Filipinos and draw more support for the sport in the country.”

PFF general secretary Atty Edwin Gastanes said the team has embodied the country’s awe-inspiring resilience and never-say-die spirit in the tournament.

“We have a team that has proven that they deserve to be among the best teams in Asia,” said Gastanes. “The PFF is all-out in its support for the team, from the preparations until now as the team goes for history in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.”

Gastanes thanked Cignal TV for its support by allowing the match to be aired live on One Sports and One Sports plus.

“We are grateful for the cooperation of Cignal TV and Eleven Sports in making the live broadcast of the match in the Philippines possible.”

The PWNT is supported by team manager Jefferson Cheng, the Philippine Sports Commission and the MVP Sports Foundation.

https://pff.org.ph/2022/01/28/wac-2022-broadcast-announcement-philippines-quarterfinals-match-vs-chinese-taipei-live-on-one-sports/?fbclid=IwAR080viMhOIibcFfkqu6FG5YGqXjjqENQSoZvW7yBqZkTF1gkn_4gyTl88w

AFC Women's Asian Cup - Philippines 6-0 Indonesia

 

WAC 2022: Thailand 0-1 Philippines

 NAVI MUMBAI – Chandler McDaniel struck nine minutes from time as the Philippines ended its long losing spell to Thailand with a thrilling 1-0 victory last Friday night in Group B of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 at DY Patil Stadium here.

What looked like a speculative effort from McDaniel turned out to be the match-winner as veteran Thai goalkeeper Waraporn Boonsing made a mess out of the strike, allowing the ball to creep past the line in the 81st minute.

The Filipinas held their ground in the final minutes before picking up their first three points of the tournament at the expense of the Thais, who have won all of their previous 12 meetings with the Filipinos.

“It’s a massive win,” said PWNT’s Australian coach Alen Stajcic. “It definitely improves our chances of making the next round.”

The Top 2 teams in the group are guaranteed to make it to the quarterfinals together with two of the best third-placed teams from the three groups. Australia walloped Indonesia, 18-0, to take the lead in Group B ahead of the Philippines on goal difference. The Top 5 teams in the tournament will qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year.

The Filipinas fired an early warning shot when the debuting Katrina Guillou met McDaniel’s cross with a powerful effort inside the box in the 13th minute. But the goal was waived off as Guillou just strayed offside. Guillou was at it again minutes later as she ran into Sofia Harrison’s lofted pass, before hitting the crossbar with an effort from outside the box.

Hali Long who was celebrating her birthday also had a glorious chance in the first half when she broke free to get on the end of McDaniel’s delivery only for her to scoff the chance. The Filipinos limited the Thais to half chances in the opening 45 minutes as Long, Dominique Randle, Eva Madarang and Sofia Harrison were alert to the danger just like Olivia McDaniel who was making her first start on goal.

The Thais started the second half brightly, but still struggled to create clear-cut chances. Quinley Quezada had the best chance of the second half when she latched unto McDaniel’s through ball only to fire a tamed effort against Boonsing.

As the match looked headed for a stalemate, McDaniel found time and space just outside the box to test Boonsing again. This time, the veteran Thai goalkeeper lost her concentration, allowing the Filipinas to find the breakthrough.

The Philippines goes up against Australia on Monday at Mumbai Football Arena with a win guaranteeing a spot in the next round.

https://pff.org.ph/2022/01/22/wac-2022-thailand-0-1-philippines/

AFC Asian Women's Cup - Philippines 1-0 Thailand

 

Azkals eye ‘friendlies,’ camp in Europe; good luck Malditas!

 

by Erel Cabatbat

With the whole country practically experiencing a surge of new COVID cases in the past few weeks and the subsequent upgrade to Alert Level 3, the Philippine Azkals have to scuttle plans to hold a camp by the end of January.

Azkals’ team manager Dan Palami says they have to put into consideration the various quarantine protocols and travel restrictions being implemented not only here but in other countries as well where a number of Azkals are currently based.

“With everything going now in the world, and the rising cases in Europe and in the Philippines as well, we thought that the safety of players and our coaching staff was paramount so we decided to forego that important camp. Our team is composed of new players, younger players who need to have time together but unfortunately we can’t do that,” Palami explained.

Palami, however, revealed that there are plans to hold the camp in March in the hope that things are more feasible by that time. He said that there are FIFA calendar dates in March that will allow the international players of Azkals to go to the camp.

“We are looking at playing some games, maybe two games in Europe plus some training for the team,” added Palami.

Palami refused to reveal, for now, where exactly and which team they are going to play against, but he gave a clue.

“We are looking at a region in Spain as a possible venue for the camp and the games. We are still finalizing the details but in principle, there have some agreements among parties already. We just can’t disclose more details until the contracts are signed,” he said. “Once this is done, the parties will announce it together.”

For the meantime, local-based Azkals will have to train on their own. Their Under-23 counterparts are busy, despite quarantine restrictions and all, gearing up for the U-23 AFF Suzuki Cup set to unfold next month in Cambodia.

“Even assembling the team locally has been a challenge. Most of the players are in the provinces and those coming from outside the Philippines are having a hard time getting their flights. It is really a challenge,” Palami said.

The Under-23 camp and try-outs will start on Monday, January 24, 2022. With the players coming from a long break, Palami is not sure about their fitness. Palami is also giving much consideration on the possibility of the U-23 team leaving early for Cambodia.

“It will depend on the level of quarantine protocols in Cambodia. If they have stricter and longer quarantine protocols, it will be more ideal for us to just go to Cambodia much earlier and have the training there. Our foreign-based players can just fly directly to Cambodia and meet the team there,” Palami quipped.

Palami clarified that although there were call ups, the composition of the U-23 team is not yet final. The camp will include 2-3 days of tryouts and there will be players coming from youth teams before and newly-discovered talents who will compete for spots in the national team. The coaching staff then will choose the final composition of the team.

The U-23 team is in Group A in the competitions along with host Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Brunei. The team’s first game will be on February 14, 2022, 4 p.m. local time against Timor Leste at the Morodok Techo National Stadium.

https://manilastandard.net/sports/314121134/azkals-eye-friendlies-camp-in-europe-good-luck-malditas.html

Maranon and De Murga sign for JDT

 JOHOR BAHARU (20 Jan 2022) – Bienvenido Maranon and Carli de Murga have signed for Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim.

Both 35-year-old Maranon and 33-year-old De Murga were born in Spain but gained Filipino citizenship in recent years.

Maranon even played at the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup in Singapore where he emerged as one of four of the tournament’s top scorers.

While Maranon will be making his debut in the Malaysian Super League in 2022, De Murga had turned out for Terengganu FC last season.

https://www.aseanfootball.org/v3/maranon-and-de-murga-sign-for-jdt/