SOME quarters have questioned the wisdom of fielding an overhauled national women’s futsal team with a newly-hired Spanish coach in last month’s AFC Women’s Asian Futsal qualifiers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, according to Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez.
“They thought sending the team was not needed since we already qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Futsal Cup that our country was hosting. I thought this was a big mistake,” said Gutierrez.
“This was an opportunity to show everyone that we belong in the tournament with the rest of Asia and a chance to strengthen our national team. So we decided to send them,” he stressed.
Although ranked as underdogs, the Filipina5 under Spanish tactician Rafa Rodriguez was the surprise of Group C in the qualifying meet in the Uzbek capital, highlighted by a riveting 3-all standoff with powerhouse host Uzbekistan.
Challenged by Gutierrez to top the group, they nearly achieved it, pressing the fancied Australians to the max before narrowly losing 1-2 in their last match to wind up with seven points on two wins and a draw.
“Until the last minute, we could have tied the Australians the way our girls played, something nobody thought we would be able to do. This made me even prouder of them,” Gutierrez said
As the best third-ranked squad among the three groups, the Filipina5 booked a ticket to the main tournament—a historic first for any national futsal team—a fact that the PFF honcho knew was in the bag even with a match left for the Filipinas.
“On the fourth playing day of the qualifiers, we already knew that they would make it because our closest pursuer, Turkmenistan, could no longer catch us,” said Gutierrez of the side that the Filipinas subdued 2-0 in their third game.
“So I take exception to those who say that what the Filipina5 achieved was tsamba, na sumabit lang tayo. This is an injustice to these girls the way they performed outstandingly despite the odds,” he pointed out.
After last week’s draw, the charges of Rodriguez will play in the daunting Group B with defending champion Iran, AFF champ Vietnam and Hong Kong in the Asia women’s futsal competition scheduled May 7 to 18 in the Chinese city of Hohhot, the provincial capital of Inner Mongolia.
The impressive outing in Tashkent has opened doors for the charges of Rodriguez, according to Gutierrez, revealing that China and Japan are now offering them to play friendlies with their national squads and hold camps in their respective countries.
“Our only request is that we have another national team to play with us should we ever go there, and I understand that China will bring in New Zealand in the event we play in their country,” Gutierrez said.
He said that the achievement of the Filipina5 in Uzbekistan was also a vindication of what the PFF under his leadership has been committed to and trying to do all along.
“As an Asian football-loving country, hindi ba ‘yan ang inaasam-asam natin for our national team, to play in the Asian championships and play with the continent’s best?” he asked. “And I am very happy and proud to say that we did it on our first try for the Asian Women’s Futsal Cup.”
