Familiar faces lead Filipinas’ pool for World Cup

Filipinas’ Sarina Bolden in a Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament game. PFF PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines-There were no surprises in the makeup of the Philippine women’s football team’s provisional lineup for next month’s Fifa Women’s World Cup which was announced on Saturday.

Headlining the 29-player list are Sarina Bolden, Hali Long, Quinley Quezada and Olivia McDaniel as the Filipinas have also began reconvening in Sydney, Australia for a month-long training camp that will serve as the final stretch of their buildup for Fifa’s global showpiece.

Other key players from past tournaments are also heading to Sydney, namely Long’s fellow captain Tahnai Annis, Katrina Guillou, Sara Eggesvik, Eva Madarang, Sofia Harrison, Carleigh Frilles, Anicka Castaneda, Jessika Cowart, Dom Randle and Jaclyn Sawicki.

Veteran Inna Palacios, Chandler McDaniel, already have two tournaments since returning from ACL injury, Bella Flanigan, Malea Cesar, Jessica Miclat, Kiara Fontanilla, Maya Alcantara, Alicia Barker, Kaya Hawkinson will also fight for World Cup spots during the camp that will be presided by coach Alen Stajcic.

Completing the provisional list are Meryl Serrano, Kaiya Jota, Angela Beard, Reina Bonta, Ryley Bugay and Isabela Pasion.

The Filipinas will spend four weeks at the training pitch of Australian club Western Sydney Wanderers, co-owned by team manager Jefferson Cheng, before heading to New Zealand in mid-July.

In Sydney, Stajcic will determine 23 players who will be selected for the final World Cup roster.

A few players and members of the support staff left the country this weekend to join those who are already in Sydney for the camp.

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