ALTHOUGH they are “only” up against the Australian Under-23 squad, Aussie mentor Stajcic knows the Filipinas will be up against a daunting rival today as the 12th Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship gets going at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
The two teams collide at 7 p.m., capping a triple bill ushering in hostilities in Group A of the 11-nation competition organized by the Philippine Football Federation and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Also on tap are matches featuring arch-rivals Singapore and Malaysia at 4 p.m. at the Rizal Stadium while four-time champion Thailand takes on Indonesia at 4 p.m. at the Binan Football Stadium in Laguna.
It will mark the first time the Filipinas are competing in front of the hometown crowd since the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, hoping to draw extra energy from local fans who are expected to come in droves to watch them play at the heritage-rich pitch.
Coming off a bronze-medal finish in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, the Filipinas are using the tournament as part of their build-up for the FIFA Women’s World Cup that will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
After being part of the Australian national football program for more than a decade, Stajcic said their rivals from Down Under are the team to beat.
“Age really isn’t an issue but the quality on the pitch. Australia has probably a lot more depth than most countries in Southeast Asia. No doubt they are still the favorites for this tournament whether they brought in their Under-23 or Under-20 squads,” Stajcic said during the pre-tournament virtual press conference yesterday.
“Some of their 16-year-olds are as good as any of those who have come before them. Midfielder Daniela Galic and defender Alexia Apostolakis are probably among the best talents in Southeast Asia and they’re only 16,” the Aussie mentor, who once handled Australia’s youth program, added.
“I am not underestimating them (the Australians). They are a very good team and it will be a very good experience for us to play them,” he said.
Aussie Under-23 coach Melissa Andreatta, an assistant coach of the Matildas that blanked the Filipinas 4-0 in the AFC Asian Cup last February in India, said only defender Charlotte Grant is the carryover from that side in the AFF Women’s Championship.
“The last time we played in this tournament was in 2018 (in Thailand) and we are here to continue building up our experience playing against the best teams in Southeast Asia,” said Andreatta, who once worked alongside Stajcic.
