The Philippine U14 Girls National Football Team poses at the Philippine Football Federation headquarters. Photo from PFF website
LOS BANOS, Philippines – The final 18 members of the Philippine U14 Girls National Football Team have been chosen to take on tough competitors in the Asian Football Confederation Regional Championship next week in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The 18 girls, all 14 years old and younger, have undergone intense training for more than a month at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, under the leadership of head coach Let Dimzon. They were chosen for the team based on nationwide tryouts.
Vietnam won last year’s regional championship, narrowly edging past second place Thailand. Both teams won four out of five of their games and finished with an overall score of 12 points each. Myanmar finished third with 10 points and the Philippines fourth with 7 points. Cambodia and Malaysia placed last with 1 point each.
This year, the competition will be broken into two groups. The Philippines will be in Group A with Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore – which is putting in a team for the first time this year. The winner, in terms of overall points, from Group A will take on the winner from Group B, which includes Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia.
This year’s Philippine team is made up of defenders Stacey Ann Arthur of Dumaguete City; Jennifer Baroin of Makati City; Princess Beth Caparida of San Carlos City; Jan Reese Jumawan of Cebu City; and Tenelyn Otom of Agusan Del Sur.
Those playing forward this year include Lindsay Whaley of Subic Bay; Itsuko Maree Bacatan of Cebu City; Patricia Erika Francisco of Davao City; Chloe Anne Hails of Bacolod City; Francesca Anne Marie Suerte of Ilo-Ilo City; and Annika Bo Velez of Manila.
Midfielders this year include Glynnes Dela Cruz of Romblon; Joyce Semacio of Davao City; and Arantxa Mari Trebol of Mandaue City. Goalkeepers will be Yasmin May Elauria of Olongapo City and Alexandrea Gumilao of Zamboanga Del Sur.
Tejanee Marie Isulat of San Carlos City will play both midfielder and defender, while Mikayla Grace Simons of Maryland, in the United States, will play midfielder and forward.
The coaching staff includes Assistant Coach Joyce Landagan; Goalkeeper Coach Melissa Chris Marquez; and physiotherapist Katherine Anne Soriano.
The tournament will be held at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Philippine team will play its first game on June 10 against Singapore, followed by a match against Vietnam on June 11 and Cambodia on June 12. The semi-finals and final game will be played on June 14 and 15. -
Rappler.com
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