![]() “I know soccer isn’t the main sport in the Philippines… But I think by seeing us on the big screen on the big stage, I think more people are going to be really interested and want to get into soccer,” said Bolden, who plays for Australian A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers. “Everyone’s really excited for what’s to come and to really shock the world,” she told CNN. Now, she’s one of the team’s most recognizable stars. ![]() “They all play for the flag, they all play for the country, they all play for the people of the Philippines, wherever they reside.”īefore joining the national team, Bolden had never been to the Philippines. “I honestly couldn’t tell you where everyone was born and to me it’s irrelevant,” added Stajcic. More than half of the squad are Filipina-Americans, including California born Sarina Bolden, whose penalty kick clinched the island nation’s spot at the 2023 tournament ![]() ![]() “If they have Philippines in their heart and in their blood, and they’re a good footballer, then they’re eligible for our team,” Stajcic told reporters at a press conference Thursday ahead of the team’s first match. Led by coach Alen Stajcic, who formerly coached the Australian Women’s National Team, the young team has seen its fortunes transformed in recent years, thanks in large part to a global talent pipeline that has drawn on the skills of the country’s vast Filipino diaspora. When the Philippines faced off against Switzerland in the New Zealand city of Dunedin on Friday, they became the first team of any gender from the Southeast Asian nation to play at a World Cup.īoosted by a large contingent of dual US nationals, the squad made history despite the 2-0 defeat to the more experienced Swiss side. ![]()
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