Six of the DLSU Lady Booters are to don blue and red to represent the national team in the second round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qualifiers for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.
From April 3 to 10, the Philippines will have its own share of global football as the UAAP regular season is put on hold to give way to the Asian Qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Games. For Sara Castañeda, Irish Navaja, Shai Del Campo, Chelo Hodges, Rocelle Mendaño, and Christina Montelibano, the grind continues as the Philippines Women’s National Team, or the Malditas, look to translate their caliber of play to the international stage.
The LaSallian caught up with Castañeda, Del Campo, and Navaja before their flight to Qatar for the international fixtures. The trio are returning members in the lineup, having already played for the Malditas in the first qualifying round held last November.
Bearing the flag
“It’s always a privilege to play for the country,” Castañeda shares why she does not shy away from international opportunities.
With some players from the previous roster unavailable for the next leg of the competition, Hodges, Mendaño, and Montelibano stepped up and joined the three other Lady Booters. On this, Del Campo shares that the DLSU coaching staff are “proud” and supportive “since all of us Lady Booters who tried out got in the final roster”.
The athletes also consider their national team duties as a commitment, not just to themselves, but to the Filipino fans they are playing for. Trainings in the morning and evening, while juggling academic requirements in between, it is a role that demands an earnest and devoted tenacity.
As Del Campo puts it, “Being able to carry that flag is a commitment, I believe, that everyone should be ready for.” Affirming that she would want to play for the team regardless of “how complicated the situation is”, Navaja has similar sentiments of determination, “I commit because I want to play for my people.”
It is perhaps with such dedication that one might expect the national team to showcase quality football and provide the Filipino fans with a lively, and potentially gratifying series of games.
Preparing as a collective
Drawn into a group with Chinese Taipei, Iran, and Pakistan, the revamped lineup sought to solidify their identity and build synergy within the short practice time available. To establish their team chemistry, the Philippine squad tried out different formations and had to learn to communicate effectively on the pitch.
For Castañeda, who has been playing for the country since her days on the youth national team, the squeezed-in bootcamp period was nothing new. “Our preparation was only a month before the tournament…It’s always like that [with international games].”
Despite the constraints, the Booters remain confident about their chances in this next round, fueled in part by their 17 goals and 3-1 win-loss record from the first qualifier, while also acknowledging that they cannot afford to underestimate any of their opponents in the group.
On pressure and expectations
The Road to Tokyo 2020 is only just unfolding for this squad. If they make it past this round, the Philippine team will be facing the likes of the Australian and Korean national teams in the third round of the qualifiers. But they will have to defeat some difficult opponents first, including Chinese Taipei—the team that the trio most anticipate playing against. Reminiscing their first round matchup, they unanimously look forward to rechallenging the squad that held them scoreless, 0-5, in their previous meeting.
For this second qualifier, Castañeda says the team will strive hard to avoid conceding any losses. This upcoming round demands nothing short of a top of the table finish for the team to progress any further in the campaign toward the 2020 Olympics.
When asked about whether they will be able to replicate their successful first qualifier round, Del Campo responds, “I believe we can! Puso lang.” She adds that it is “all about the mindset” and having the “same goal…to work as a team and to work hard to win each game.”
It will be interesting to witness how each of the six Lady Booters maximize their playing time to influence the country’s international football record. As the stakes only get higher from here, Navaja shares that international tournaments bring “extra pressure because the country is rooting for us, and we shall not disappoint”.
The Malditas will need to rekindle the explosive performances that powered them to commanding victories in the first round, and put on full display the level of intensity often found in their recent local matches. Navaja further emphasizes, “We need to prove ourselves…prove [to] everyone that the Philippines Women’s Team can achieve something greater than what people expected us to.”
The Philippines Women’s National Team will kick off their international campaign against Iran on Thursday, April 4, at 1 am (PST). The awaited rematch against Chinese Taipei will follow on Sunday, April 7, at the same time. They will then play their last fixture against Pakistan on Wednesday, April 10, at 12 midnight.
