Filipinas’ World Cup preparations continue

By Peter Atencio

PHNOM

PENH—Experience will only make the Philippine national women’s football team stronger.

Coach Allen Stajcic said this after the team pulled off a 2-1 upset of defending champion Vietnam, but still failed to advance to the semifinal round of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games’ women’s football tournament on Tuesday evening at the Smart-RSN Stadium, Toul Kourk District here.

The Australian mentor of the team, collectively known as the Filipinas, however, said the squad’s inability to the advance to the semifinals, where they could have matched their bronze-medal finish or surpass it with either a first-ever gold or silver, hardly put a dent in their preparations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup this July.

“This has no effect in our preparations. It’s just another group of matches in an experienced group,” said Stajcic.

The heroics of the team’s top-scorer in Sarina Bolden and Halli Long went for naught after Myanmar repulsed Malaysia with a massive 5-1 rout at the Old Stadium in the other side of the city.

Both the Philippines and Myanmar finished with a 2-0-1 win-draw-loss record, but it was the latter, which joined Vietnam in the semis on a better goal difference video

The champs took the top berth with their 2-0-1 slate.

The other two semifinalists are Cambodia and Thailand.

On hindsight, Stajcic said the team should have been more aggressive at the start of the game to ramp up the possibility of securing more goals.

CESCA, the latest sensation in the music scene, made a significant impact with her debut EP Travel under ABSCBN’s Star Pop record label last year. The EP features heartfelt and acoustic tracks inspired by her personal experiences, including the song “What If” which reflects on a destructive relationship.

Cesca writes lyrics that fluidly shift from English to Filipino. She is able

THE Juans showcases its artistic growth and musical versatility, offering a fresh and captivating experience for fans and new listeners alike. And the same things can be said of its new single titled “Back Home.”

The new single comes as The Juans reached a remarkable achievement of surpassing one million ready listeners on the popular music streaming platform Spotify. This achievement is a testament to The Juans’ perseverance as a band that started out with the goal of having their music heard.

As for the band’s just released new single, lead singer-keyboardist and songwriter Carl Guevarra says that their latest single “Back Home” is a different kind of hugot song that “goes into the deep pain of childhood and traces their first heartbreak back to their own homes.”

Having been active since 2015, The Juans has undergone a remarkable evolution both collectively as a group and individually. The members’ growth goes beyond mere aspirations of uniqueness or distinction from other musical acts. Instead, The Juans’ core motivation and unwavering focus lie in remaining authentic

Cesca is known for writing lyrics that fluidly shifts from English to Filipino