Torcaso upbeat on Filipinas' chances in AFC Women's Asian Cup

WHEN the Filipinas were drawn to play host Australia in the first game of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, one of the broadcast cameras caught the reaction of head coach Mark Torcaso scratching his head and sheepishly smiling.

“Apparently, it’s a meme. I heard it’s a meme now,” said Torcaso, when asked about his reaction.

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Most Filipino football fans can relate to Torcaso’s reaction in how the draw had the Filipinas playing Australia - a finalist in three of the last four editions, including winning it all in 2010.

But contrary to the perception of his reaction, Torcaso said he is unfazed about facing Australia.

“I want to be clear with my reaction. It was because we’re playing in the first game, not because we’re playing Australia in the opening game,” he said.

“The opening game always brings a different type of pressure, in particular on home soil (of Australia), and that’s something that we’ll talk to the girls about, about making sure that we’re 100 percent ready."

In fact, Torcaso, himself an Australian, said he is excited to face their first opponent.

“ It had nothing to do with playing Australia because I actually think we can beat Australia, and I think we can do really well in this group,” he said.

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During the draw held in Sydney, Torcaso said he got a chance to talk to his fellow Australian coaches, including the shot-caller of the Matildas in Joe Montemurro.

“We were talking about who we were going to get and I think I was more excited about getting Australia than he was because he thinks that we’re a dangerous team and I believe we're a dangerous team,” he said.

Full schedule for Filipinas

After a busy 2025 that will see the Filipinas compete in the ASEAN MSIG Serenity Cup which starts on Thursday, then the Southeast Asian Games in December, they will be on hand for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup where they will play Australia in Group A on March 1 at the Perth Stadium.

The Filipinas will then shift to Gold Coast for their remaining games against South Korea - the same team they lost to in semifinals, 2-0, in 2022 - on March 5 and Iran on March 8.

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“I think on our day, we can beat any team. I honestly believe that,” said Torcaso.

The AFC Women's Asian Cup is a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup where the Filipinas intend to go back after a historic first apperance where they even won a match against New Zealand, 1-0.

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“I’m not entirely worried about the opponents that we’ve got in our group because I think if we focus on ourselves, I think we can go to another World Cup. We're going to really focus on what we need to do over the next six months to eight months and make sure that we're 100-percent ready and it starts with this AFF tournament,” said Torcaso.

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