The Filipinas in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026. PFF-PWNFT
MANILA -- With one more chance to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, the Filipinas will tap into previous experience in their quest to book a second-straight appearance.
Carleigh Frilles, who was part of the 2023 Women's World Cup squad, believes the Filipinas are ready for this moment after having been tested in their previous tournaments.
"I've been in a few scenarios like this, like a lot of pressure on the games, and I think something always to fall back on. And I think my teammate Jackie told us a couple years ago about how pressure is a privilege. And we're so privileged and honored to wear this badge and represent our country," she said during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday in Gold Coast, Queensland.
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"I think staying grounded in that we're representing the Filipino flag on this stage and we have the opportunity to bring our flag to another World Cup keeps me focused and grounded to just try and all we can do is do our best for the country and to make our country proud," Frilles added.
During the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last December, it was a tough road before the Filipinas got the historic gold in women's football.
They started out the tournament with two losses, before a dominant 6-0 win over Malaysia to enter the knockout stage.
Despite all the adversity, the Filipinas made history and brought home the breakthrough gold in the regional showcase.
For Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso, he believes the SEA Games and the matches against Australia, Iran, South Korea and Japan help set the team up for their next assignment.
With a mix of World Cup veterans and young players on the squad, Torcaso has faith that the team will fight until they achieve their goal of booking a return ticket.
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"I think the couple of games that we played at the start of the tournament were a true reflection of the hard work that these girls have put in over the last couple of years to give ourselves a chance to go to another World Cup and now we're in that position and we're really determined to make sure that we go again," he said.
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"So we've got people like Carleigh that have experienced what a World Cup is about and they're the people that we want to try and bring back to the World Cup. But also there's a number of players and staff that really want to get to a World Cup and we want to feel the same that Carleigh felt once before. So we're determined to get there and we'll do everything possible to make sure we do," Torcaso added.
The Filipinas and Uzbekistan will clash on Thursday at 11 a.m., Philippine time.