Playing against the host country New Zealand will be one of the stumbling blocks that the Philippine women’s national football team will face in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Coach Allen Stajcic said this as he evaluated the challenges that the Filipinas will be subjected to in their coming competition.
“They are all a challenge. But playing New Zealand before 50,000 home fans will be the challenge. The pressure playing before a loud and boisterous home crowd will be difficult,” said Stajcic after the team learned who their opponents will be during a draw ceremony in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.
Stajcic talked about the Philippines’ situation after the Filipinas were put in Group A with co-host New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland.
The Filipinas, who are ranked 53rd in the world, will begin their historic campaign against Switzerland on July 21 in Dunedin, before taking on New Zealand on July 25 in Wellington. They then battle Norway on July 30 in Auckland.
“It’s a proud moment for us representing the Philippines, and I think any team we go up against will be a good team,” said team manager Jefferson Cheng.
Norway at no. 12 is the highest-ranked squad—and probably the toughest—that the Filipinas will tackle in Group A.
Switzerland follows at no. 21, with New Zealand at no. 22.
“There’s no doubt that the teams that we are facing will have more experience playing at this level,” said Stajcic, who, however noted that New Zealand has been through many World Cup and Olympics campaigns.
The Kiwis boast of a core group of players, who have been together for 10 years and seen action in six World Cups.
But the Kiwis have yet to get past the group stage in all their six appearances.
Meanwhile, the strongest contenders in two-time defending champion US and 2019 runner-up and second-ranked the Netherlands, were both drawn in Group E together with Vietnam and the playoff winner from Group A.
Co-host Australia is in Group B alongside Ireland, Nigeria, and Canada.
Group C has Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia and Japan, while Group D consists of England, Denmark, China and the playoff winner from Group B.
Group F is composed of France, Jamaica, Brazil and the playoff winner from Group C.
Group G has Sweden, South Africa, Italy and Argentina, while Germany, Morocco, Colombia and South Korea were bracketed in Group H.
The Filipinas gained experience against European opposition early this year when they lost to the Republic of Ireland, 0-1, in a friendly in Turkey.
Later, they swept a two-game series with Bosnia Herzegovina in Slovenia.
They also played against the Football Ferns in a friendly last September in Fullerton, California.
In that game, the Filipinas took the lead on Sarina Bolden’s goal in the first half, only to concede twice in the second half of a 1-2 defeat.
“There’s one perspective that it’s good to play teams maybe that aren’t in the Top 10,” said Stajcic.
