by Jonas Terrado, Manila Bulletin
Photo from AFC
Australia coach Tony Gustavsson believes the Philippines is a team that should not be taken lightly following their Group B match in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Mumbai, India.
The Swedish-born mentor gave rave reviews to the way the Pinay booters, handled by his predecessor Alen Stajcic, performed in Monday’s match that ended with Australia prevailing 4-0 at the Mumbai Football Arena.
“I’m really impressed with where they are, and I think some teams need to watch out for them in this tournament,” Gustavsson said in the post-match press conference.
Despite being heavy underdogs, the Filipinas kept the game scoreless in the first half before the Aussie squad known as the Matildas unleashed their top form with star striker Sam Kerr breaking the ice in the 51st minute.
An own goal by the Philippines’ Dominque Randle plus scores from Emily van Egmond and Mary Fowler cemented Australia’s place in the quarterfinals with six points through two matches.
“They were really well organized,” said Gustavsson. “You can see that they spent a lot of time together. They probably had a very long prep time compared to some of the other teams in the tournament. They’re organized almost like a club team.
“But also, they showed a lot of fighting spirit. They didn’t shy away from a tackle, and they made it a tough game for us. I’m really impressed.”
The defeat didn’t put a big dent in the Philippines’ chances of securing a quarterfinals berth despite drawing level with Thailand at three points each.
The Pinay squad needs to draw or win against Group B cellar-dweller Indonesia on Thursday in Pune to finish second and advance to the quarters against the top team in Group C.
The top two squads in Group B advance to the last eight while the team that finishes third must be among the two best from the three groups in order to reach the next phase of the continental competition which is also a qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
