Stajcic preps Philippine women’s team for World Cup

Alen Stajcic, Philippine women’s national football team coach, plans to use the next 18 months preparing for the 2023 World Cup instead of basking in the historical feats of his team.

Philippines recently defeated South Korea, 2-0, in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup.

Stajcic said, “I think the win against Thailand was a massive feather in their cap. To hold Australia to nil-nil at halftime was another amazing feat. To win two games in a tournament for the first time, then to win three, then to qualify for the World Cup … so many special moments that have added to the belief and confidence of this group.”

“I’m sure we’ll do everything we can as a country to give this players the maximum possible chance of performing at that stage,” Stajcic added.

He has already taken stock of the tools he can begin with, a lot of them vital intangibles that often take time to build but which the Philippines flaunted in its run to local football history.

“There’s a backbone of a really strong mentality within this group,” Stajcic said. “No doubt there’s plenty elements of the game we have to improve on, but belief and confidence and the effort and heart in the group [are] already world class.”

That confidence grew as the team progressed during the tournament, eliminating a key mental hurdle.

Stajcic said the Filipino women held their own against countries with a more advanced football culture.

Achieving history as the first football squad from the country to crash the sport’s grandest party comes with a certain responsibility.

“When you create history almost every time you step on the field … the bar of performance has been raised and the expectations now for the country have been raised and now everyone has to come,” Stajcic said.