THE Filipinas have been seeded fourth while the Philippine Under-22 squad has been seeded eighth in today’s draw of the 32nd Cambodia Southeast Asian Games men’s and women’s football tournaments at the Morodok Techno National Stadium in Phnom Penh.
Considered the most important team event in the regional meet by majority of the 11-nation SEA Games Federation, the draw for the 10 teams competing in the men’s and women’s tourneys starts at 3 p.m. (4 p.m. Manila time).
“The seeding of the squads in both tournaments are based on their respective finish in the last Vietnam SEA Games,” Philippine Football Federation general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes said.
Based on the mechanics of the men’s draw, host Cambodia is seeded first and will be bracketed in Group A while defending champion Vietnam, seeded second, will be in Group B.
Now under the helm of former Azkals defender Rob Gier, the national Under-22 squad has been placed in pot four of five pots with Singapore, and the first ball drawn from the pot will be placed in Group A while the one left will be in Group B until the sequence is finished.
Also competing in the men’s tournament are Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Timor Leste.
The Filipinas, who bagged a bronze medal in the 31st Vietnam SEA Games, are in pot two together with Thailand while reigning titlist Vietnam and host Cambodia have been bracketed in Group A and B, respectively.
The sequence in determining the squads in each group follow the format in the men’s draw, with Myanmar, Singapore, Laos, Indonesia and Malaysia completing the cast of participating countries.
With Gier, who has a UEFA A coaching license, calling the shots, the PH Under-22 booters are eyeing to get past the group stage and reach the semifinals for the first time since the country reached the semis in the 1991 Manila SEA Games.
As the AFF Women’s Championship queens, the Filipinas are tipped as favorites to dispute the gold with back-to-back champ Vietnam and powerhouse Thailand.
