IN a first for Philippine football, the coaches of the national men’s and women’s squads are collaborating and cooperating to boost and encourage each other’s sides as they swing into action in international competitions.
“Groundbreaking” was how Australian Filipinas coach Mark Torcaso described his newfound partnership with newly-hired national men’s mentor Albert Capellas of Spain as they sat with each other in the press conference organized by the Philippine Football Federation last week.
“That is the message we (and Capellas) wanted to come across, of having a connection and being together since we have been here for a week while living in the same condo,” Torcaso said as the two national team tacticians showed mutual respect.
“I have something to share and he (Capellas) has something to share. We can learn a lot from each other,” added the former A League Coach of the Year, who joined Capellas as the Filipino booters competed in the Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
They said this was a chance to pick each other’s minds before their respective sides compete abroad, with the men’s team set to compete in the King’s Cup in Songkhla, Thailand starting this Friday and the Filipinas vying in the Pink’s Cup from Oct. 26 to 30 in Antalya, Turkey.
Torcaso, who took over the coaching reins from compatriot Alen Stajcic and made his debut with the Nationals in the Hangzhou Asian Games in China last year, said this will be the start of their preparations for their three consecutive international meets.
He said the Filipinas might be able to defend the AFF Women’s Football Championship crown again in the middle of 2025, possibly in the Philippines anew, followed by the 33rd Thailand SEA Games in Bangkok in December and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia the succeeding month.
PFF national teams director Freddy Gonzalez, who also manages the Pinay footballers in an interim capacity and was at the same briefing, said the goal is for both national teams to play more often in the country while establishing greater rapport between their players.
“It’s high time that our national teams play in the Philippines more than once a year,” he said.
