The PWNT had an early Christmas party in Australia last week before they left for home in their respective countries. The PWNT decided to post the photo on Christmas Eve though to celebrate the occasion. Merry Christmas girls and have a bountiful and successful New Year's.
Chifure AS Elfen Saitama(J League, Japan) and Sarina Bolden have terminated their contract by mutual agreement, and Sarina will be transferred to Western Sydney Wanderers FC (A-League, Australia). The Western Sydney Wanderers have agreed to terms with Philippines’ International Sarina Bolden for the remainder of the 2022-23 A-League Women’s season, as they look to bolster their attack heading into the new year. It is understood the paperwork is due to be finalised shortly. The Wander Women have failed to find the net in four consecutive A-League Women’s games, and the signing of the 26-year-old Bolden will hopefully rectify their problems in front of goals. The attacking midfielder/forward has scored 17 goals in 29 internationals for the Filipinas, with 13 of those coming this year in all competitions. She netted in the Women’s Asian Cup group game against Indonesia in a 6-0 win in January this year. But perhaps her most memorable goal was scoring the winning penalty in the shootout win over Chinese Taipei in the quarter finals, a strike which sent the Filipinas to their first ever World Cup next year. Bolden scored seven goals at the 2022 AFF Women’s Championships in July, winning the Golden Boot and leading the Filipinas to their first ever major trophy. The American born star has previously played club football for Sandvikens IF in Sweden, Xinbei Hangyuan in Taiwan, San Fransisco Nighthawks in the second tier Women’s Premier League in USA and Chifure AS Elfen Saitama in Japan’s top division. Bolden will likely form a dangerous combination with Young Matildas’ forwards Sheridan Gallagher and Cushla Rue at Wanderland. Western Sydney travel to Wellington on 2 January in their next game, hoping to avoid six consecutive losses to start their season, which will be an unwanted record. However, with Bolden leading the charge up front, Wanderers’ fans will be hoping to salvage something from their 2022-23 campaign, with 13 games still remaining this season.
As @srnbldn prepares to make her @wswanderersfc debut, @bieenlsa and I recap her #WELeague tenure.What challenges has she faced and how has her time in Japan shaped her game? 👇#LabanFilipinas @aleaguewomen https://t.co/NlV7nK031p— Alex Bishop (@ABishop32) December 30, 2022
The Philippine Women’s Under-20 and Under-17 national teams are set to conduct talent identification sessions this coming January 2023. The tryout sessions mark the start of both team’s preparations for several international competitions scheduled for 2023. The first tryout sessions will be in the United States from 20-22 January 2023 followed by tryout sessions in the Philippines in the later part of January 2023. The PHI Women’s U20 National Team will be competing in the following competitions: AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers Round 1 on 04-12 March 2023 in Laos and Round 2 on 03-11 June 2023, and the AFF U19 Women’s Championship on 01-19 July 2023 in Indonesia. Similarly, the PHI Women’s U17 National Team will compete in the JENESYS Football Tournament on 16-24 March 2023 in Japan, the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers Round 1 on 22-30 April 2023 in Guam, and Round 2 on 16-24 September, and the AFF U16 Girls’ Championship 2023 on 01-19 August 2023 in Indonesia. PFF is looking for female players born on the following age categories to be part of the U20 and U17 women’s national teams: Under-20/Under-19 Women’s Born between 01 January 2004 and 31 December 2008 Under-17/Under-16 Girls Born between 01 January 2007 and 31 December 2009 The United States tryouts are scheduled on the following dates: 20 January 2023 (Friday) 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Dignity Health Sports Park Field 7 and Parking Lot 16, Carson, California, USA 21 January 2023 (Saturday) 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM 22 January 2023 (Sunday) 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
@Bauser It looks like Eggesvik had an article written about her in Norway. It is behind a pay wall though. Any chance of a translation.
Sure, no problem. A local paper with a story on her. Very much a recap of things already posted though. "From playing in Malvik in the 3rd division with opponents such as Verdal and Strindheim, the road seems long to a World Cup and opponents such as Ada Hegerberg and Norway in a World Cup. At least if your name is not Sara Eggesvik. For the 25-year-old from Bodø can precisely this become the reality. In June, she was with the Philippine national team and made her debut against Bosnia Herzegovina. Together with the Philippine national team, she went all the way to the top of the AFF Women's Championship this summer. Next summer, a new championship could be in store. The Philippines has qualified for the FIFA World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand this coming summer. There they have also been drawn in a group with Switzerland, New Zealand and Norway. In other words, it could be a slightly special match for Eggesvik. - I think it will be very funny. I had hoped for Norway before the draw, but now that we have Norway, I don't know. After all, they are ranked much higher than us and must also be better than us. But we don't come to the WC just to take part, we come to compete. Must prioritize However, the 25-year-old is not guaranteed a place in the national team for the World Championships, but of course hopes that her achievements recently can give her the opportunity next summer. - It would have been a dream to be involved. I will train well and hope that, if I do my best and have a good spring, I can make it to the WC. So far I've gotten a lot more playing time than I thought I would get beforehand, and I'd like to fight for a place in midfield when the World Cup comes around. However, for the 25-year-old, who studies medicine at NTNU in Trondheim, there is a solitaire to be solved. The dream of the WC also means that the time in Malvik is most likely over. Now Eggesvik has her own little process to find out where she will play next spring. - I understand that I have to play at a higher level in order to bring out my best level and be as well prepared as possible for the WC. But we'll see. I have to think about what options I have. After all, I'm still a student, so I have to adapt a bit. Was wanted in Australia She can reveal to Avisa Nordland that she has been in dialogue with several clubs, but is tight-lipped both when it comes to which ones and at what level. Earlier this autumn, however, she was in concrete dialogue with an Australian club - without there being a transfer then. - The season has started there now, so it's a bit difficult. I have also been in contact with some clubs here in Norway. The optimal thing would have been to play at the highest possible level. - Are we then talking about games in the Toppserien? - I know that it takes a lot of time to compete at that level. At the same time, I have a lot of work with my studies. School makes it a little easier to stay in Trondheim, because they keep me there for a while. I am studying part-time now and can therefore choose a bit myself. Now I have to think about what will be the best solution for me, explains Eggesvik. - A highlight While that process is underway, she uses the Christmas holidays to meet old friends and teammates during Gevir's Christmas week tournament. With the club destination still not settled, it is perhaps not completely coincidental that the team she plays for in the traditional Christmas tournament is precisely "FC Unknown". - The Christmas week tournament is prestigious. It is every year. It's great fun seeing old teammates and friends again - and playing together. Even if you haven't seen each other for a long time, you meet and have fun together. It is a highlight of Christmas, Eggesvik asserts. In the group stage, they won convincingly in all four games. - We have had a good start. Maybe this is the year we can finally win. I hope so, says Eggesvik. It wasn't just a good start for Eggesvik and the team. They went all the way to the final and won it."
@Bauser Thanks a lot for the translation. I saw it on facebook but nobody could get to the site so they asked me to have someone on bigsoccer do it for us. I will post it there.
It is good to know that Sara Eggesvik is still considering playing pro football at the highest level possible despite her medical studies. I think she deserves to be in the Toppserien. She has made more of an impact to the PWNT fast becoming one of it's most valuable attacking players than Meryll Abrahamsen who is already playing at that level. And unlike many Toppserien players who dream of playing abroad in England, she earned for herself a contract to play for an English club Charlton Athletic in the Championship playing the likes of Manchester United FC in FA Cup play. The other medical student in the PWNT pool, starting defensive mid Bugay(graduated cum laude) hasn't played a game for the national team since sustaining a serious head injury possibly resulting in post concussion issues last June in a game against Bosnia and subsequently entering medical school.
It looks like Sara Eggesvik won the MVP award as well as the championship during the Christmas Week tournament.
Thanks for the referral. I plan to post the article on facebook as well. I am sure they will love it.
@JanBalk Jessika Cowart is going to Sweden to play for IFK Kalmar (Officiell sida)! Congratulations Jess! Cowart is fresh off helping lead her club to the Serbian league championship in her first year with them where she started practically all her games. She alternates between centerback and defensive midfielder for the national team but with starter Sawicki sidelined and Ryley Bugay entering med school after sustaining a serious head injury in June has been playing mostly at defensive mid more often lately. She has also represented the US in unofficial futsal tournaments and has played futsal her entire career which has helped the technical side of her game. IFK strengthens on the defensive side as an international centerback signs for the club. Cowart is a Philippine national team player who plays in the World Cup this summer. Jessica is a hugely technical and attacking centerback with an extremely good sense of play. We welcome her to the club. Phil Lind
The signing of Cowart gives us 2 national team players playing in the Damallsvenskan next year with Katrina Guillou scoring the 2nd most number of goals for her club Piteå IF last season also re signing a long term contract with them.
Top flight leagues in Scandinavia is fast becoming the professional destination of choice for our women's national team players with Cowart and Guillou in Sweden, Serrano and Eggesvik in Norway, Beard in Denmark and in terms of past pro experience our senior veteran and Captain Tahnai Annis in Iceland where she helped lead her club to the League Championship and to the UEFA Champion's League years ago and even named MVP for her club.
The Philippine Women’s National Team will face a familiar opponent in Hong Kong in Round 1 of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024 Asian Qualification from April 3 to 11. Following the draw last Thursday in the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Filipinas landed in Group E along with Hong Kong, Tajikistan and Pakistan. Teams will play in a single-round robin stage with the top team in each of the seven groups in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to join the five highest-ranked AFC teams in DPR Korea, Australia, Japan, Korea Republic and China PR. The 12 teams in Round 2 will be divided into three groups of four teams with the No. 1 team gaining entry to the next round along with the best second placed team from the three groups. From there, the four remaining teams will clash in a home and away playoff with the two survivors grabbing the spots for Asia in the Paris Olympics next year.
Bit unlucky draw for Phillipines and Uzbekistan in terms of having in the group quite tough second team.
We are used to getting drawn with Hongkong. Outside of the regional AFF sub-confederation, the AFC country the PWNT have the most matches with all time is Hongkong with 10 before the game in April so luck tends to favor meeting them again in a draw including most recently the early stages of the Asian Cup/WC qualifiers as well 2 years ago. The Pakistan football federation last year after seeing the Philippine's formula for success in making the Women's World Cup has also decided to recruit from their diaspora as well and apparently have contacted plenty of players from England, Greece and the US to reinforce their team so they should be presenting some challenges in the group as they will be playing way above their ranking. The Philippine national football women's team has gained a lot of experience with 30 international matches last year and added a lot of really good players since making the semifinals of the Asian Cup and qualifying for the Women's World Cup though so I don't think they will have much of a problem in the first round. I think Myanmar was also a little unlucky getting Bangladesh as the 3rd team in their pool. The latter has been playing well lately and even won the regional SAFF Championship upsetting India in the process. Hopefully the Philippines gets to host one of the qualifying matches in both the 1st and hopefully 2nd rounds as well if they make it that far to help the country gain fans in one of the very few countries in Asia where football is not the #1 sport.
Meryl Serrano Abrahamsen has signed with Stabæk Fotball Kvinner (Norway Toppserien, currently 4th place in the League) https://www.stabak.no/lag/kvinner/n...o76uWXvQ3XCBPDEJYBAYxIkIV9hrIBXX1icTk_F-3PgPk CREATIVE PLAYER WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FROM ARNA-BJØRNAR: "Creative player with many years of experience in Toppserien," says Sports Director Kim André Pedersen WOMEN'S A-TEAM Her full name is Meryll Krysteen Abrahamsen Rosales Serrano, she was born in 1997 and grew up in Veavågen on Karmøy. With both Norwegian and Filipino citizenship, Meryll became a national team player for the Philippines in 2022. Excitingly, Norway opponent will face the Philippines in their group at the World Cup this summer, but more on that later. Abrahamsen has previously played for Haugar, where she made her debut for the A-team as a 14-year-old in 2012. Three years later she moved to Avaldsnes, where she made her debut in Toppserien against Røa in October 2015. She made a name for herself after being on the field for 90 seconds and making her first goal on her first touch of the ball. Meryll became Norwegian champion with Avaldsnes in 2017 under the leadership of renerPer Inge Jacobsen. As the classic 10'er on the pitch, Meryll will still be found with the number 9 on the shirt. - Is good ball handler and playmaker. I'm more fond of showing what I can do, and not so fond of talking," Meryll told stabakkvinner.no when she arrived in Nadderud on Thursday morning to undergo physical tests and what else goes into signing for the club. She was signed in 2019 for LSK Kvinner, where she became both league and Norwegian champion with the club the same year. After the season of the same year, Meryll signed for Arna-Bjørnar, where she has been until the end of the 2022 season. Sports Director Kim André Pedersen says the following about Abrahamsen and her signing with Stabæk on Wednesday afternoon: - Meryll is a fantastic signing for us. She is an established Toppserie player with many years of experience. "She is an architect and will lift our team with the ability to create imbalance. "She has a good repertoire on the ball, good at playing up others in good position, good 1v1 and can score goals from most positions on the pitch. We can't wait to see her in training and get to know her even better. Meryll has been a national team player for both Norway and the Philippines. As a Norwegian national team player, she has two games for Norway's J15 and seven games and two goals for Norway's U23. In 2022, she has played three games for the Philippines and recorded one goal.
Ricardo Rambo, the Hong Kong coach, said his side had been handed a “tough group”, and expected the Philippines, who have qualified for this year’s Women’s World Cup, to pose the biggest challenge. “The group is tough, Philippines are preparing to play in the Women’s World Cup, they will play strongly,” Rambo said. “They have played friendly matches and had overseas training camps. In addition, they have new players and good resources.” https://www.scmp.com/sport/football...-women-handed-tough-group-football-qualifiers
Does that mean he is good or are you making a joke about the character Rambo from the movie? Rambo is a Brazilian who has been the coach of the Hongkong women's national team for awhile and is familar with the Philippine team when they played them 2 years ago in the Asian Cup qualifiers which the Philippines won 2-1. The PWNT is very much improved with better players since then as he mentions.