After spending four years as a DLSU Lady Booter, Natasha Alquiros went on to become one of the most prominent players in women’s football in the Philippines. From 2008 to 2012, Alquiros was one of the stalwarts of the La Salle team under the legendary coach Hans Smit, while also making a name for herself in the Philippine Women’s National Team and later on with Stallion Laguna FC.
Having recently retired as a professional footballer after a lengthy career, Alquiros remains committed to the sport’s growth in the country, shifting her role from being a prominent figure on the pitch to being a supportive presence behind the scenes.
Building the dream
Natasha Alquiros’ journey with the Lady Booters began even before she stepped onto the pitch in a green-and-white kit. As a teenager already playing for the Philippine Women’s National Team, she frequently crossed paths with coach Hans Smit, who served double duty leading the national squad and DLSU. This made her transition to La Salle seamless as she would go on to make an appearance in every game throughout her four years in the UAAP.
The playing years Alquiros spent in La Salle fortified her character and winning mentality that she carries on to her career. She recalls the intensity of the Lasallian environment: “When you play in La Salle, it gives you this competitive nature. It sets the tone of an environment that is competitive—that you are gunning for a championship, nothing less. So, it’s already instilled in you that you are [playing for] a winning team. I came there and I already knew that we’re a winning team. And that anything but winning is actually a failure.”
From her successes in the premier collegiate league Alquiros would also become a mainstay in the Philippine Women’s National Team. Her generation laid the crucial groundwork for the team that eventually surged up the world rankings and made history with a FIFA World Cup qualification. Alquiros points to a specific World Cup qualifying campaign as the moment she recognized the team’s potential. Before that, she felt they were just “playing to survive… just playing to make the numbers.” But that tournament revealed a new trajectory. “It was the first glimpse of what the Women’s National Team could be,” she explained. “We missed the World Cup Qualifier only by a point. We beat Iran, we lost to Thailand, 1-0, and then we beat Bangladesh as well. That was a tournament that opened my eyes to how much further we can be competitive.”
Stepping off the pitch
As an athlete, the sport you play won’t always be something you’ll do for the rest of your life. There will come a time when circumstances, opportunities, or personal choices lead you to a new chapter. For Alquiros, this transition came with two distinct football journeys, one with the national team and another in club football.
For the former, Alquiros decided to step back after facing several challenges, including the lack of player support. It was not an easy decision, but it marked a turning point. With a bit of luck and a lot of passion, she found herself venturing into sports commentating, an unexpected path that began with an interview for TV5, kickstarting the successful media career she has today.
As for the latter, she continued to play club football in the PFF Women’s Cup with Stallion, returning post-pandemic after a stint in Thailand. This comeback carried meaning and special joy: for the first time, she played in front of her daughter. Her career came to a perfect close when Stallion won the championship. “When we won the championship, I felt—what better way to retire than by being on top?” she stated.
Life, as the former national team standout shows, often leads us to unexpected opportunities that still align with our passions. After her professional stint, Alquiros came to realize: “As long as you know who you are, then it’s easier to navigate yourself beyond playing… At the end of the day, [your] life [as a] player [does end].” Nonetheless, redefining herself beyond football was not easy after playing the sport almost all her life. According to Alquiros , the upside has always been how her family and friends helped her stay grounded and shape her values beyond her athletic identity.
Today, she acknowledges that every athlete’s journey beyond the sport is different. In her case, she considers herself lucky to still be involved in the football community through her work, a testament to how far passion can take you.
Life beyond the field
Despite retiring from the competitive scene as a decorated player, Alquiros’ connection to football remains strong as ever. With years’ worth of experiences, she found her new purpose by remaining impactful on the sidelines through media and commentary. Her transition into commentating and hosting was rooted from her love for football. This all began when she was featured in a TV segment alongside her brother, who also played for La Salle. Her lively and talkative nature made her a natural fit for sports broadcasting, helping her move seamlessly from the pitch to the screen.
She looked back on how this new path started following her first sports feature in TV5, in which the producers noticed her charisma. “They just thought that I was very talkative and lively. So they asked me, ‘Would you like to work in football?’” she added. This unexpected venture evolved into a career as a sports commentator, providing Alquiros an avenue to showcase her passion for the game.
For the former Lady Booter, her decision to retire as a player was not an easy feat, nor was it a goodbye; rather, it was a redirection for her to embark on this new chapter. “I was very lucky because the transition was organic for me,” she recalled while reflecting how life post-retirement can be a difficult period that often leads to uncertainty for some athletes.
Alquiros, with her voice now recognizable through screens and broadcasts, continues to be impactful beyond the field. With every match she covers, Alquiros offers not just game analysis, but also valuable insights shaped by firsthand experience. She credits her gradual shift to having an identity beyond football.
Through her work in media, Natasha Alquiros serves as an inspiration for athletes; standing as a living testament that life in sports does not need to end in retirement. Instead, it can evolve with the right opportunities and into a whole new purpose. Her journey serves as a reminder that passion, when embraced fully, can always find new ways to thrive.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s October 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSOct2025.
