The journey of the Philippine girls’s nationwide girls’s soccer workforce within the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup continues as they give the impression of being to write down extra historical past on Sunday’s match towards Norway.
World no. 46 Philippines will face world no. 12 Norway at 3 pm and a win will guarantee the debutant Filipinas a slot within the Round of 16, whereas a loss will utterly remove them from the event.
A draw, then again, can have completely different repercussions relying on the results of the opposite Group A match between Switzerland and New Zealand.
“We are looking forward to the game. It’s a massive game, it’s a massive occasion for us,” stated head coach Alen Stajcic on Saturday within the pre-match press convention.
For Stajcic, enjoying at New Zealand’s nationwide stadium Eden Park will probably be particular.
“We’re all really excited and looking forward to the game,” he added.
“The emotions and vibe of the group have been really good. We’re going into this game like we do every game. We’re all excited to play tomorrow,” echoed Jessika Cowart.
For the Filipinas, treating every recreation the identical has been a part of their preparations throughout matches, and it is going to be the identical once they face Norway.
“We’re going to go out there and fight like we have in the past few games, like we have in the past 18 months, with pride, puso, and we’re going to play as hard as we can,” stated Cowart.
Stajcic, in the meantime, stated there is just one mindset in all of their matches.
“We treat every game the same. I don’t care if we are playing Norway, I don’t care if we are playing America, Myanmar or Hong Kong. Every single game is the same preparation. So it is not really relevant if we are playing life or death tomorrow, or if we need to win or need to draw,” Stajcic said.
“We go out to win every game.”
The Norwegian Nexus
As the Filipinas hope to continue writing football history when they play Norway, two of their players already have history as well with their upcoming foes.
Sara Eggesvik and Meryll Serrano both represented the Nordic country early in their young careers, but for Stajcic, what is more important is the heart and spirit of the team as a whole.
“We have two Filipino gamers who spent plenty of their time in Norway, enjoying for Norway. But as I stated, I do not actually care the place they got here from and we do not actually care who they’re enjoying towards,” said Stajcic.
“We talked about people, we talked concerning the coronary heart and spirit of our workforce and our nation and our flag that we’re enjoying for and the nationwide anthem that our gamers sing for. I’m actually pleased with the entire group. Sara, Meryll, that is irrelevant actually the place they grew up.”
Stajcic added that what he is more proud of is the fact that they still have a chance to advance to the next round.
“From a training perspective, I’m actually pleased with the entire group that we have got so far within the event that we’re nonetheless alive,” the Filipinas coach said.
“We’re going to the final match towards a superpower in girls’s soccer traditionally, understanding that we have now an opportunity of progressing to the following spherical.”
Stajcic added that while Norway has been having some issues in their camp, he is aware that their opponent will still give their best in the match.
“I’ve been following soccer, girls’s soccer for thirty years and I understand how robust the nation is and their historical past and tradition in Norwegian girls’s soccer. They’ve gained World Cups and medals on the Olympics, in order that they have an incredible historical past and tradition which introduced them ahead to the purpose the place they’re and I’ve obtained plenty of respect for them as a workforce and as a rustic and what they’ve given to the world video games,” said Stajcic.
“I do not actually care about what is going on on contained in the camp. I’m certain tomorrow, once they come at you, they’ll battle for his or her nation like they’ve all the time had for thirty years. Everything else is irrelevant once they come to the sphere.”
“The reality that they are wounded, typically means they will come out to play more durable and show everybody improper.”
Norway coach Hege Riise confirmed on Saturday that striker Ada Hegerberg won’t play for the match towards the Filipinas. This, amid the problems about Caroline Graham Hensen’s outburst in direction of her coach, which she has additionally apologized for.
—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
