THE FILIPINAS fell wanting completing a two-game sweep of its assignments on the Pink Ladies Week in Antalya, Turkey as they sustained a 1-4 defeat to Kenya on Wednesday.
On the heels of their 3-0 shutout of Jordan a dew days before, the Filipinas sought one other impressive result but found the fast and aggressive Harambee Starlets to tough a customer and settled for a 1-1 win-loss mark on this trip.
“I’m disillusioned because I felt like throughout the week, the women responded well to the brand new system,” said coach Mark Torcaso, whose team used the camp and competition in Turkey to check its recent attack-oriented playing style.
“We didn’t execute that completely. There have been quite a lot of individual errors, small errors that once you’re attempting to put together a game plan, can affect you. And against a team like Kenya, who’re quick, physical and have good individual players that play in good leagues all over the world, they’ll punish you.”
Kenya set the tone with a quickfire goal from Elizabeth Mutukiza just seven minutes in. The Harambee Starlets’ lead doubled within the 36th minute when Jessica Cowart’s clearance off a dangerous cross on the proper side ricocheted off Hali Long and into the Philippine net.
The Filipinas pushed one back 20 minutes after restart as Sarina Bolden converted from the spot. However the Kenyans quickly restored a two-goal lead with a wonder goal from substitute Purity Alukwe before Fasila Adhiambo added a fourth with nine minutes left to ice it.
“This was a possibility for us to implement something. We’re going to persist with that. We’re still going to work hard on what we’re attempting to do. But we even have to know that we will’t make errors in situations that would cause us problems, and we definitely saw a few of those today,” said Mr. Torcaso. — Olmin Leyba
