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Games Today (Manila time)
Group A (Youth Training Center)
5 p.m. - Malaysia vs. Indonesia
(Aung San Stadium)
5 p.m. – Vietnam vs. Philippines
THE Philippines takes on
defending champion Vietnam in the second Asean Women’s Football
Championship which kicks off today at the Aung San Stadium in Yangon,
Myanmar.
The Filipina booters battle the
2005 SEAG champion Vietnam at 3:30 p.m. (5 p.m. Manila time) in the
Group A eliminations.
“Their spirits are high,
although have some slight colds,” said team manager Ernie Nierras.
Indonesian and Malaysia, also in
Group A, face each other at 5:30 p.m. at the Youth Training Centre.
Vietnam head coach Vu Ba Dong
said his team, which only has six veterans of the Manila SEA Games,
has to work double hard to retain the AFC title it won last year via
a sweep.
“A lot has changed in the past
year, many teams are taking the game seriously and have improved . .
. we have to respect all our opponents here,” said Dong after
attending the team managers meeting last Wednesday.
Nierras said defense is the
strongest point of Filipina booters.
“We have speed in the forward
and flanks. Our defense is our strongest point. Midfield play could
determine the outcome of the game,” Nierras said. “Vietnam is a
new team. We need to take advantage of this.”
Strikers Fil-Am Angie Impelido
and speedy Edna Agravante will lead the offensive while midfielders
Mariel Benitez—the team captain—Sam Nierras and Merlou Albano
are tasked to orchestrate the plays.
He said that coach Marlon Maro is
banking on the back four of Fil-Aussie Nenita Dollente-Burgess,
Mallory Dayot, Malou Rubio and Josephine Luto to foil Vietnam’s
offensive thrusts.
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