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Despite second-place finish for U14 girls, future bright for PHL women’s football


The Philippine U14 girls football squad. Ronald Whaley / PFF


The Philippine U14 girls football team may have fallen 2-1 to Thailand in the Final of the ASEAN Regional Championships, but reaching that point represented the best performance of their age group ever.

The girls, who only trained together for a month before the competition, defeated Singapore 6-0, defending champions and hosts Vietnam 1-0, and Cambodia 5-0 in the group stage. A 2-1 win over Myanmar put them through to the Final where they lost 2-1 to Thailand.

It was an impressive accomplishment for the National U14 Girls. The success even surprised the coaching staff to a certain degree, with Head Coach Let Dimzon saying “Hindi ko expected yung resulta ganito,” given that the team lost to Vietnam 4-0 to finish fourth in 2013.

Speaking at the PFF press conference at their head office in Pasig, Dimzon noted the team had played against boys teams and Dimzon's own FEU women’s team, the reigning UAAP champions, in friendlies, and the preparation was clearly good for the girls.

The proud Coach Let also talked about how four of the players were part of their fourth-placed finish from a year ago, and were thus used to the system, becoming the backbone of the team. Also reasons for progress, she said, were the mindset and focus of the players.

However she did note that the preparation could have been much better: “In one month mahirap po [ang training camp]... para sa tactical, three months ang kailangan.” The lack of time for the training camp, Attorney Ed Gastanes, the General Secretary, said was due to a "conflict of schedules.” Given the performances of the girls however, it is clear that the coaching staff did a great job despite the restrictions.

The U14 girls team coaching staff. Ronald Whaley / PFF

What's next for the team?

Gastanes had begun the press conference saying "On behalf of the Philippine Football Federation, I would like to first thank the parents... the coaching staff... and the players. It was the best performance of [the U14 girls team] in a regional competition." Gastanes praised the girls as "smiling but tough, and their performance in the competition showed it."

But the General Secretary noted that "After this, the [U14 team] is disbanded.” With players returning to their provinces, geography was a major issue in preventing year-round training like the champions of the last two years, Vietnam and Thailand. Instead, Gastanes said that "We rely on the schools and on the local Football Associations. What is important is that the girls have high-pressure matches so that when they're called they'll be ready to be trained again."

He continued, "Moving forward, the girls return to schools and provinces. They'll play matches there and sooner or later they'll be called upon for National tryouts again."

The team, then, will be preparing for the 2016 AFC U16 Championship where a top-three finish, Gastanes said, would see them qualify for the World Championships.

There is huge potential for women's football, then, in the Philippines. And as the country was voted fifth in a Global Gender Equality survey, the Philippines may only be scratching the surface in terms of potential. The Philippine Girls Team in the Street Child World Cup also reached the final, falling 1-0 to hosts Brazil in the last hurdle in the U17 competition.

And with Pinay Futbol also present at the press conference, after they partnered with the PFF for the Nine-A-Side Women's Cup, the resources and competitive tournaments are growing for women's football. The future is bright for these girls and it is hoped that the right development can support them in continuing that progress and success. - AMD, GMA News
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