'There's nothing more you can ask for': Stajcic praises Filipinas' effort in Women's Asian Cup
MANILA, Philippines — Though falling short of a spot in the finals of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, head coach Alen Stajcic had nothing but praise for the Philippine women's national football team.
Speaking after their 0-2 loss against South Korea on Thursday, Stajcic said that his wards gave absolutely everything they could in the regional tournament.
"When you create history every time you step on the field, there's nothing more you can ask for," Stajcic said.
"The bar, the performance has been raised, the expectations now for the country have been raised," he added.
The Philippines ticked off more than a couple of milestones with their semifinals finish in the tournament.
Their campaign in the 2022 edition of the Women's Asian Cup marked the first time the Filipina booters reached the knockout stages.
They made their first appearances in the quarterfinals and the semifinals.
But most importantly, the Philippines were able to punch a ticket to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup after they beat Chinese Taipei, 1-1 (4-3) in penalties at the quarterfinal earlier this week.
Now with the Women's Asian Cup behind them, Stajcic says it's already time to look ahead to their maiden appearance in women's football's biggest stage.
"We've got 18 months to prepare now for the World Cup and we're surely going to do everything we can as a country to give those players the maximum possible chance to perform at that stage," Stajcic said.
Next on the calendar for the Filipina booters calendar will be the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi in May.
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