Down Under, Filipinas step up their preparations

Kiara Fontanilla is part of the national goalkeeper corps that includes veteran Inna Palacios (left) and starter Olivia McDaniel. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM

The Philippine women’s football team has quietly put the work in Sydney, Australia for the final phase of preparations for the Fifa (International Federation of Association Football) Women’s World Cup, which now hit fever pitch as the countdown has been reduced to only a few weeks.

“I would definitely have to agree that it has been more grueling,” said goalkeeper Kiara Fontanilla on Friday when a few members of the Filipinas took part in a virtual press conference hosted by Summit Water. “They have been on top of us a bit more because we’re going to battle, as they like to say.

“But we definitely always try to perfect our craft and we’re making each other accountable than we usually do. We know that we’re striving for that one goal and that’s to make the country proud, to bring as much pride as we can, not only when we play on the field but off the field.”

Coach Alen Stajcic and his squad are seen to enter the final few days of their buildup at the training ground of the Western Sydney Wanderers before flying to Auckland, New Zealand where they’ll be based for the duration of their World Cup campaign.

Wave of emotions

And it’s understandable that everyone in Sydney is feeling a wave of emotions as the opening match against Switzerland on July 21 in Dunedin, New Zealand is almost there.

“I think the closer [the World Cup is] getting, we’re feeling a lot of nerves, anxiety,” admitted team administrator Belay Fernando-Dela Cruz, who also graced the session. “But of course, there’s a lot of excitement to finally hear the national anthem and our flag being raised in Dunedin.”

Among the things Stajcic is heavily figuring out at this point is the 23 players who will make his grade and don the Filipinas jersey for the Group A matches against Switzerland, cohost New Zealand and Norway.

That will leave the team with the difficult choice of leaving out six from the 29-player pool who’ll have to watch from the sidelines.

For Fontanilla, fighting for spots in Fifa’s biggest showpiece has been beneficial.

“Even though all 29 of us won’t make it to the final roster, I know that each of us are battling for each other,” said Fontanilla, who hopes to get a crack at least as the team’s second-choice keeper behind Olivia McDaniel.

“Even with the ones that won’t make it, they’re still gonna keep battling for us and I’m just tremendously proud of everyone and how much sacrifice they’ve made to be here,” she added.