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04 September 2012
"Strongest ever" Malditas hope to reach AFF Women`s finals
By Karl Decena
Despite lackluster performances in the previous years, the Philippine national women’s football team is setting its sights on an ambitious goal in the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Women’s Championship this September in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
“We want to make it to the finals,” Malditas coach Ernie Nierras said. “If we don’t make it to the finals, we will be disappointed.”
Nierras made the pronouncement despite the Malditas’ failure to get past the group stages in the past four editions of the tournament. However, he believes that this year’s lineup is the most formidable the country has ever had.
“The team that I have now, this is the strongest I’ve ever seen in the women’s national team,” Nierras said.
The Malditas will be led by team captain Marielle Benitez, a many-time UAAP Most Valuable Player from La Salle. The team also boasts a number of Fil-foreigners such as Fil-Americans Heather Cooke, Ashley O’Connor, Abby Komarc, Angeline and Patrice Impelido, Fil-Australian Nenita Burgess and Fil-Canadian Mallory Dayot.
The team will also be bolstered by players from the UAAP schools, such as Louella Amamio, Jowee-Ann Barruga, Aisa Mondero and Marice Magdolot from University of Santo Tomas; Inna Palacios, Samantha Nierras and Natasha Alquiros from La Salle; Isabella Fernando and Kathleen Rodriguez from Ateneo; Etang Ladero and Vanessa Mondero from Far Eastern University; and Cristina Delos Reyes from University of the Philippines.
Nierras added that he is confident about their chances this year as they had better preparation this year.
“We’ve been training for eight months. Unlike last year na medyo hirap tayo, we are able to address all the needs this time,” Nierras said. “This is the only time that we played 30 games to prepare (for the tournament).”
The Malditas will battle Myanmar, last year’s finalist, on September 13, host Vietnam, also the 2010 champion, on September 14, and Singapore on September 17 to complete their matches in Group A.
The Filipinas need to finish in the top two of their group to advance to the crossover semifinals and face the two best teams in Group B that features defending champion Thailand, Laos, Indonesia and Malaysia.
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whats that ernie? if you dont make the finals you will be disappointed? what kind of team do you have now that you expect to make the finals when the malditas havent shown any improvement under your mentorship, and ever since they took on the name malditas they really havent amount to nothing! i am pretty sure the malditas will end up dead last, and you will remark in your interview that you are pissed. thats right. coaches like you, should be dropped. we dont need people like you in the philippines, we have plenty of politicians already so ernie please go back to the states and fuck off.
ReplyDeleteLOL! And the Malditas will face off with defending champs Myanmar, 2010 defending champs ang host Vietnam, and Singapore and he expects his team to make it to the finals? You will be disappointed, Ernie. Oh you will be "pissed".
DeleteThe nation-football(women team) like us,need more playing experience,international matches, an invitational games with our South East Asean neighboring countries, more practice makes us perfect and more self-confidence...
ReplyDeleteExposure of the friendly games are also needed.,internationals or locals
Then, we will see if we have enough skills and talent for our NT-MALDITAS team, n the field if they are really "MALDITAS"...for me strong women physically,emotionally and mentally... MALDITAS....
So the haters are commenting. I have no idea why the haters would put down a team that they nothing about. They will beat Singapore. And yes, beating Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand will be tough as they are all ranked in the top 45 in the world.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen them play but from what I have been told, this is the best WNT ever, primarily because the locally developed players have improved so much. A special thank you goes out to the men's teams who help the Malditas prepare by playing exhibition games.
Perhaps it is just as well that they did not go flying around the world to foreign training camps like the Azkals. I don't know how good the Malditas are. Neither does Myanmar. We could all be in for a surprise.
Ambiguous post there. or maybe your just an idiot. how could you say the malditas are good, when you have not seen them play? And in the same post, you stated that the players have improved! Again, how do you know this when you yourself stated that you have no idea how they have improved!
DeleteWhat part of "From what I have been told" do you not understand? I do know people who have given me information. They usually beat Singapore. I know from the list of players that they have several players with US NCAA Divison 1 experience. If you know how to read,you will note that I never said that I personally know that they are good. I expect that my information is a lot better than the idiot who expects that they will come dead last without giving any reason for his belief. It seems he hates Ernie and the name Malditas and that forms the basis of his opinion. If he knew anything about the 6 players who have 4 years of US NCAA Div. 1 experience each, I might pay attention to him. Does he know anything about the local players? But he forms an opinion without information. You cannot read and call me an idiot because you do not understand. Do you haters not realize how ignorant you look when your poison shows up on a computer screen?
ReplyDeleteLOL!! That's the problem right there.... "from what you've been told".... which means you've bought into the hype and therefore you are an idiot! More so since you've admitted that you yourself haven't seen their supposed improvements or whatever else.
DeleteThey usually beat Singapore? Woopty doo!! So what now? They're dead certain to win the competition?!? LOL!!
You expect your info to be a lot better us, the supposed idiots?! LOL! It again shows that you really are buying into the hype of "what you've been told". The only info that us people need is that the women's national team has never showed anything at all in the past that even remotely suggests they're gonna go on and reach the next round, let alone win it. Therefore all the hype and stupid comments of the coach are ridiculous, more so since people like you are buying into it!
I don't know about anyone else from the above about their opinions on Nierras but I it's obvious he's a serious no BS type of person. No problem with that but it seems he's taken that mentality/attitude a bit too far and isn't being objective. And yes, that name malditas is retarded to say the least... pathetic!
You really do have a problem with reading. I said beating Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand will be tough. These are not difficult words to understand. Haters really should stay away from computers.
ReplyDeletemalinaw nga sinabi mo. kaya hayaan mo na yan. tatanga tanga lang yan and ayaw tumigil kasi ilang beses mo na pinahiya hahahaha
Delete