THE “12th Man” will play an important role as the Filipinas tackle Thailand for Group A leadership tonight at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, according to Australian coach Alen Stajcic.
As football buffs know, the “12th Man” is none other than the hometown fans, whom Stajcic urged to pack the heritage-rich arena when his charges face the vaunted Thais at 7 p.m. in a bid to cap their group campaign with a bang.
“As I’ve been saying all week. We want this place (Rizal Stadium) rocking. We want it full. The bigger the crowd and atmosphere, the bigger we have a chance of winning,” said Stajcic last Sunday night after his ward’s impressive come-from-behind 4-1 win over Indonesia.
“That is the point of having home ground advantage so I implore everyone to support the team, to support their nation and really help us get over the line,” he stressed.
After picking up their fourth win in a row, the streaking hosts formally sealed a spot in the crossover semifinals while maintaining their lofty group standing with 12 points in the competition organized by the Philippine Football Federation.
But Stajcic acknowledged that it won’t be easy facing the four-time champion Thais, who were in second spot with 10 points after routing Malaysia 4-0 two days ago at the Binan Stadium in Laguna.
Australia takes on Malaysia at the Imus Stadium in Cavite while also-rans Singapore and Indonesia tangle at the Binan Stadium in Laguna.
The Thai squad is practically the same team the Filipinas tripped 1-0 in the group stage of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India last February to advance to the semifinals, achieving a historic milestone by booking a ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
The Thai charges of Japanese coach Miya Okamoto gained a measure of revenge by knocking out the Filipinas 3-0 in the semifinals of the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games last May, where the Filipinas salvaged a bronze medal.
Likely back in harness for the match is top goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel, who will come off a week’s rest since minding the net in the team’s 1-0 upset of Australia at the start of the tournament.
