Filipinas still look good to land SEA Games gold

(File) Filipinas celebrate dominant win in friendly over Papua New Guinea. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Key names will be missing, but the Philippine women’s football team still looks solid with Sarina Bolden and Hali Long leading the Filipinas in the 32nd edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia starting this week.

Quinley Quezada and Olivia McDaniel are the other headliners as the squad will be without Katrina Guillou, Tahnai Annis and Dom Randle when the Filipinas shoot for their first-ever gold in the regional meet.

Chandler McDaniel is set for her maiden SEA Games appearance after failing to see action during last year’s edition in Vietnam due to an ACL injury.

McDaniel had three goals when the Philippines won all three games in the first round of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Tajikistan.

High expectations

Also heading to Cambodia are Sara Eggesvik, Carleigh Frilles, Jaclyn Sawicki, Bella Flanigan, Sofia Harrison, Eva Madarang, Alicia Barker, Reina Bonta, Maya Alcantara and Kiara Fontanilla.

Isabella Passion, who saw action for the first time in the Olympic qualifiers, also made the squad, while Natalie Oca and Sabine Ramos, who played for the U-20 team of assistant coach Nahuel Arrante, will make their senior debuts.

The Filipinas were drawn in Group A with defending champions Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia. In Group B are Thailand, host Cambodia, Singapore and Laos.

Expectations are high for the World Cup-bound Filipinas, who, after claiming bronze in the Vietnam SEA Games, emerged winners of the Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship in Manila. INQ