Filipinas wrap up Pink Ladies Cup after defeat to Harambee Starlets
The Philippine Women's National Team concluded Pink Ladies Week in Turkey with a 4-1 loss to Kenya following a strong start against Jordan, underscoring both improvements and the continuous process of growth under head coach Mark Torcaso's new approach.
While acknowledging the disappointment, Torcaso emphasized the value of patience, stating that although the team demonstrated potential in adjusting to a new playing style, the change needed more time to develop.
"It’s disappointing because the girls responded well all week to learning a new system and style, but we didn’t fully execute today,” the Filipinas head coach remarked. “There were individual errors or moments that the players knew they could handle better.”
The Filipinas pushed harder after giving up two goals in the first half in an attempt to find the game-winning goal and start a comeback.
Sarina Bolden’s penalty kick in the 66th minute gave the 39th-ranked Filipinas their first goal.
Kenya, however, kept up the pressure and took advantage of the Philippine team’s errors to score two more goals to complete the win.
Although the Filipinas were tactically ready for Kenya’s caliber, they missed opportunities due to critical errors made at crucial moments.
“We didn't underestimate them at all. We knew that they were gonna be on the good side. I just felt like we approached the game with just some player errors during moments that were key and it caused us a few little problems in the end and we'll be better for that,” said Torcaso.
Despite the setback to the 151st-ranked Kenyans, Torcaso feels the match taught them valuable lessons, and he is confident that his strategy will result in long-term success.
“This is going to take more than just four or five days; it’s a process that will take months. We need time with these players to really settle into the new approach,” Torcaso pointed out.
Torcaso expressed confidence about the team's upward trajectory as they look forward to upcoming games, particularly in their return to the Philippines.
