Women’s futsal squad bear high expectations

The Philippines opened its campaign in the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers on Saturday under a microscope after how things transpired leading up to the controversial transition of coaches, management and players.

New coach Rafa Merino’s side was playing Kuwait in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, at press time, hoping to start things on the right track in the Philippines’ bid to secure qualification to the continental tournament in China this May.

Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez, who had been mum on the stunning developments that saw the departure of coach Vic Hermans and team manager Danny Moran during the holiday season, has pinned lofty expectations on the hastily-formed squad.

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“Not to put pressure or add more weight on the girls and the coaching staff, but we expect to win that group,” Gutierrez said during the team’s sendoff earlier in the week.

The Philippines will be seeking a top two finish to reach the Asian Cup, a tournament the squad will definitely need as part of preparations for the inaugural Fifa Women’s Futsal World Cup that the country is going to host in November.

Gutierrez bared that the Philsports Arena in Pasig City and a venue in Victorias, Negros Occidental, were approved by Fifa as sites for the World Cup that starts Nov. 21.

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Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Australia are the other teams the Philippines are going to face in Group C of the qualifiers.

Katrina Guillou and Flanigan, who were part of the Philippines’ historic stint in the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, are among the players that were included in the roster formed after the PFF leadership and the group led by Moran and Hermans got into disagreements over the training schedule and the removal of Hermans as coach.

Getting a win or securing the Asian Cup goal could help ease the process of the new team to truly focus on moving forward.

“We just have to go out there and play how we play and hope that it [turns out] well,” said Flanigan.