Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 14) – The Philippine women’s football team braces for an expected tough AFF Women’s Championship 2022 semifinals as they are set to battle the reigning champion and fellow 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup debutante Vietnam.
Vietnam earned the top seed in Group B after a dominating 4-0 win against Myanmar on Wednesday. The latter also advanced to the semifinals and will face Group A top team Thailand.
Filipinas head coach Alen Stajcic believes they are the underdogs in the semifinals of the regional football tournament due to the number of matches they played in the group stage.
“I don’t think we’ve got a good advantage at all. Vietnam and Myanmar have played one game less than us and had an easier group and less games,” Stajcic said in the post-match press conference in their defeat against the Thais on Tuesday.
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The Filipinas played five fixtures in a span of nine days in the six nation-Group A bracket, while the five countries in Group B only played four matches.
Vietnam was the most dominant team in the tournament’s group stage after they swept all their four games in Group B, scored 18 goals, and did not concede a goal to their opponents.
The Filipinas were a game away from a possible Group A sweep, but Thailand prevented it to happen in their final group stage game and relegated them to the second spot of the bracket.
“One less game in these conditions is a massive, massive advantage. To play 450 minutes in nine days is something, as I just said, I’ve not seen before in international football or even high-level domestic football. It’s brutal and it’s torturous,” Stajcic said.
The veteran coach added that as the Filipinas gear up for the semifinals, they need to work hard to counter the exceptional attacking lineup of Vietnam.
The Filipinas had a glimpse of Vietnam’s might inside the pitch when the latter scored a come-from-behind 2-1 win during the group stage of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May.
“I think we showed in the other night in the part of the game that we have to improve the most is with the ball passing and combination play,” Stajcic told CNN Philippines’ Sports Desk on Wednesday.
“Technically, they’re as good as anyone and we have to able to match that technique so their physical dominance can come to the fore,” he added.
The semifinals match between the Philippines and Vietnam is scheduled on Friday, 8 p.m., at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
