READY. Filipinas coach Alen Stajcic (2nd from right) is greeted as the national women's football team arrives at the Dunedin International Airport in New Zealand on Thursday (July 20, 2023). Despite being the overwhelming underdogs, the Filipinas will be facing Switzerland in high spirits for their first FIFA Women's World Cup Group A match on Friday (July 21, 2023). (Contributed photo)
AUCKLAND – Thoroughly prepared and properly motivated, the Filipinas finally make their highly-anticipated debut in the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Friday as they open their campaign in Group A against Switzerland at the Forsyth Barr Stadium under expected nippy weather in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Despite being the overwhelming underdogs, they are expected to be in high spirits, hoping that their grueling 18-month preparations would pay off against the La Nati in their 5 p.m. clash (1 p.m. Manila time) at the 30,000-capacity arena that was a site of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
They arrived in the city, considered New Zealand’s wildlife capital, on Thursday afternoon and were met by some Filipino expats at the Dunedin International Airport, the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand reported, posting on its Facebook account pictures of the arrival of the national women’s football team.
Currently ranked No. 46 in the FIFA women’s world rankings, Australian coach Alen Stajcic’s charges are not only facing a tough side 20 rungs above them but also will brace for the bone-chilling weather there that has been averaging 7°C (44.6°F) in the past few days.
But with international seasoning and experience that saw them training and competing in the US, Europe, Asia, and South America, the Filipinas won’t be awestruck by the moment and enter the opening match with a nothing-to-lose attitude in the outing supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Peaking at the right moment, they enter the fray having won five of their last matches, their recent loss a 1-5 setback to Sweden in a closed-door unofficial friendly here last Monday when Stajcic likely held his players under a tight leash given the proximity of their first match.
If anything, it will be the wards of German coach Inka Grings, making their second appearance in the football showcase, who might feel the pressure, having lost their last seven matches since booking a World Cup ticket with a tense 2-1 overtime playoff victory over Wales last October.
The outcome could hinge on how their skippers – Tahnai Annis for the Philippines and Switzerland’s Lia Waiti – can marshal their forces in controlling the midfield to set the tone of the match.
Veteran midfielder Waiti, 30, who plays for Arsenal Women’s Super League, keeps the Swiss engine running with her ball control while Paris St. Germain striker Ramona Bachmann “should be Grings’ most important player,” according to the special World Cup edition of the Total Football Analysis magazine.
“With the veteran star proving to be one of the most consistent players in the national team… her contribution in the final third is undeniable. The center-forward also plays an important role in possession, getting involved in creating chances for her teammates,” the report noted.
The magazine also singled out Annis as the pivotal player for the Filipinas.
“The name that immediately stands out is Annis, with her central to everything that they do well; this is highly reflected in the way that she has strengths in (defense, offense, and midfield),” the report said. “It is clear that she (Annis) can provide most of what the Filipinas will be looking for in this tournament. She will be a prominent aspect of any hopes that they have of performing well in the World Cup.” (PR)
