VIŃA DEL MAR, Chile – The Philippines battles Chile in the first of two friendly matches here on Saturday night as the Filipinas continue their FIFA Women’s World Cup buildup in South America.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. (6 a.m. Sunday in the Philippines) at the Estadio Sausalito, a pitch that could seat 22,000 fans right at the heart of this scenic, coastal city that is a two-hour drive from the capital Santiago.
Filipinas coach Alen Stajcic welcomed the new challenge for his side, which will be playing South American opposition for the first time, just a month after playing Central American team Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica.
“Playing South American opposition is a whole new ballgame for us,” said Stajcic. “The culture here is amazing. The football here is amazing. Not only do you have to beat the team, but the culture as well. It’s going to be a tough challenge for us, Chile has been to a couple of World Cup tournaments and improving as a team and they are still fighting for a World Cup spot next year.”
Chile, led by the world’s top goalkeeper Christiane Endler, is entered in the playoff tournament in New Zealand next year.
For Stajcic, playing here will only help the Filipinas get better in anticipation for their monumental task in the World Cup in New Zealand, where they will be facing the hosts and European teams Denmark and Switzerland.
The Filipinas are also slated to meet Chile again on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in the Philippines) at the Municipal dela Pintana in Santiago, Chile.
“It’s just another stepping stone building to the World Cup,” said Stajcic. “We’ve got a long way to go and we’ve got 7 to 8 months left and we want to play everytime we get together. There’s a lot of competitions for spots and every game is just vital.”
The Filipinas are supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, MVP Sports Foundation and team manager Jefferson Cheng.
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