Philippine women’s football team often known as Filipinas ahead of its friendly game against South Korea. –FILIPINAS PHOTO
The Philippine women’s football team is midway into its ongoing training camp at home that kicked off preparations for a busy calendar yr, where the Filipinas play three major competitions.
Coach Mark Torcaso’s squad began buildup earlier this week at the brand new football pitch built on the rooftop of the SM Mall of Asia, but is scheduled to complete off the camp with an intersquad match in front of the general public on Feb. 25.
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Torcaso had earlier said that the general public event will allow fans to see the Filipinas within the flesh, especially with the 2023 Women’s World Cup participants having spent most of their time playing friendlies on foreign soil.
But while the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has opened its arms wider to fans, it continues to grow the rift between its officials and members of the media covering the game.
Access revoked
Venice Furio, who focuses on covering women’s football even before the Filipinas’ World Cup run and has a podcast named Futbol Brew, said on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday that her access to the team was revoked after expressing her views on the identical social media platform.
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“Just got word that I’m now not considered a friend of the Filipinas due to my recent posts—my access to the team has officially been revoked. Wishing the ladies all the very best!” Furio wrote on her account.
Furio later told colleagues that she didn’t say anything “offensive or libelous against the team or federation” and he or she “wasn’t sure if the restriction would extend beyond the camp.”
Furio’s coverage has contributed to the game finding its way through the crowded basketball and volleyball media coverages and her ban is seen as an enormous blow to football’s growing exposure.
The move to ban Furio got here a month after PFF president John Gutierrez told reporters to “behave” in the course of the send-off of the ladies’s futsal team for the Asian Cup Qualifiers, preempting questions on the overhaul of the national squad’s coaching staff.
The Manila camp is being held in the course of the ongoing Fifa international window, however the Filipinas can be in motion in April after accepting an invite to play in China against the host nation, Thailand and Zambia.
That tournament will test the Filipinas’ mettle ahead of their title defense within the Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship in Indonesia, followed by the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup Qualifiers and the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
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Hali Long, Olivia McDaniel, Sara Eggesvik and Sofia Harrison are among the many distinguished names attending the camp, based on photos being posted by the team on its social media accounts.
