Silver-winning PH U14 Girls football team: heart, smarts, pave way to glory

The country's littlest female footballers made history on Sunday when they took silver in the ASEAN Football Federation Under-14 girls championship. Although they lost the final 2-1 to Thailand in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, the Philippines may have paved the way for women's football to flower all over the country with a gutsy performance.

In last year's U14 championship the Philippines finished fourth out of six teams. This year in an expanded competition they got second out of seven sides after group stage wins against Singapore (6-0), Vietnam (1-0), Cambodia (5-0), and a semifinal triumph against Myanmar's girls by a 2-1 scoreline.

Just as in 2013, the Pinays won the Fair Play award as well.

Coach Let Dimzon, also FEU's ladies team coach, relied on a central midfield composed of veterans from last year's campaign, namely Joyce Semacio and captain Tenelyn Otom. Semacio, from Davao, scored four goals, assisted on a bunch of others, and got the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.

“Lahat ng binigay kong tasks sa kanya, nagawa niya” marveled Dimzon. “Sobrang taas ng level ng bata.”

Apart from great skills, Semacio and the other girls also displayed a quality that all good football teams have: brains.

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“Yung system ko, ang dali nilang nakuha” says Dimzon. “Ang tatalino nila. From the first game until the final, ginawa nila yung game plan.”

Dimzon's system was simple: short passing in the back of the formation, followed by diagonal balls to the weak (non-ball) side where hopefully forwards like Lindsay Whaley would create space and chances.

The coach says that players like Arantxa Trebol, Stacey Arthur, Chloe Hails, and Glynnes De la Cruz are all capable of kicking the ball 30 yards downfield, which makes the tactic possible.

The team was selected from a monthlong training camp in Los Baños, Laguna in May. Of 28 invitees culled from tryouts all over the country, eighteen made the final squad. In the roster, three girls from San Carlos city, Otom, Tejanee Marie Isula and Princess Beth Caparida, one Ilongga (Santa Barbara's Francesa Suerte), two from Davao (Semacio and Patricia Francisco), two from Olongapo (Whaley and keeper Yasmin Elauria), and four from Cebu (Trebol, Itsuko Bacatan, Alexandria Gumilao) represented the Visayas and Mindanao. Five more players, Arthur, Jennifer Baroin, De la Cruz, Hails, and Annika Velez, came from Metro Manila. Mikayla Simons from Hong Kong is the only overseas-based player.

Dimzon was assisted by Joyce Landagan and goalkeeper coach Aisa Marquez. Physiotherapist Katherine Soriano rounded out the support staff.

PFF General Secretary Ed Gastanes, who was at Monday's press con, was eager to point out that a great effort was made to make the team representative of the entire nation, and not just to use Manila-based footballers.

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The Philippines was fortunate to see some of the other sides lose their top players to age limits. Dimzon says that only 30% of the Vietnamese team remained from last year's competition. And yet that Vietnamese side is actually a club team that trains together all year round, so the 1-0 win is quite an achievement.

Dimzon also noted that the Vietnamese were a very physical side, but the players, especially Whaley, whose father Floyd is American, were able to take the heat.

Thailand, just like Palestine in the AFC Challenge Cup, were just too good for the Filipinas. Dimzon says she tried to play compact in the middle of the field but it was not enough.

The Thais also showed terrific sportsmanship and camaraderie, going to the floor of the Philippine team (the teams stayed in the same hotel), and swapping jerseys with the Pinays afterwards.

The team spirit from the girls was also very evident. Hails, the daughter of an Englishman, said she picked up some Visayan from the girls from Mindanao and Visayas, and the girls could be seen sitting on each other's laps during the press con.

Dimzon hailed her girls' attitude as well.

“This year AS IN (her emphasis) sobrang wala kaming naging problem sa mga player from the start until the final. Itong batch na ito ang pinak-mababait.”

Dimzon hopes to welcome a few of the team's stars to FEU once they reach college age.

Meanwhile, it's time to savor the victory and look forward to the future, namely the 2016 Asian Football Confederation U16 girls championship, where for sure, many of these young ladies will be called to represent the nation again.

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.