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Filipinas keeping next generation in mind during World Cup: Long

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The Philippine women" s="" national="" football="" team="" in="" training="" New="" Zealand.="" PFF="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/07/20/20230720-long.jpg"/><figcaption>The Philippine women&#x27;s national football team in training in Dunedin, New Zealand. PFF/PWNFT.</figcaption></figure></div> For the Philippine women&#x27;s national football team, their maiden appearance in a FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup is not just about them: it&#x27;s also for the next generation of Filipino footballers.Ahead of their debut in the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup 2023 on Friday, Filipinas co-captain Hali Long stressed that they know the significance of their upcoming stint in the global showcase.&quot;I&#x27;m super honored and grateful to be able to play in the moment, to see the Philippines take the whole stage for the first time,&quot; said Long during the pre-match press conference in Dunedin, New Zealand. &quot;That&#x27;s what it&#x27;s all about.&quot;&quot;I always dreamed about inspiring people through doing something that I love and I didn&#x27;t know it was gonna be football but here I am and doing it for the country that I love, for people that I love,&quot; she added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/20/23/history-making-filipinas-want-to-prove-they-belong-in-world-stage">History-making Filipinas want to prove they belong in world stage</a></li></ul>The Lupang Hinirang will be played in a World Cup for the first time ever when Long and the Filipinas take the field against Switzerland on Friday afternoon at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. Long, the team&#x27;s veteran center-back, believes that this moment will be unforgettable not just for them, but also for young Filipino players all over the world who hope to one day represent the country at the biggest stage.&quot;We just want to be attainable, reachable for little girls back home regardless of where we come from,&quot; says Long. &quot;They see us on TV, on international television, seeing us play, seeing us have the flag, seeing us with the crest.&quot;&quot;We dreamt of this and, if they have big dreams and they follow it, do the hard work that we did, it&#x27;ll get easier for them one day and hopefully they can see themselves here one day just like us,&quot; she said.While Long and the Filipinas have embraced the underdog tag in the World Cup, they can also be inspired by the result opening game between New Zealand and Norway in Group A.New Zealand, the co-hosts, rode the support of a passionate, sold out crowd at the Eden Park in Auckland en route to a 1-0 upset of world No. 12 Norway, stifling an attack fronted by former Ballon d&#x27;Or winner Ada Hegerberg. Hannah Wilkinson was the hero for New Zealand, scoring three minutes after the restart. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/20/23/new-zealand-scores-first-goal-of-womens-world-cup">Co-hosts New Zealand scores first goal of Women&#x27;s World Cup</a></li></ul>While Switzerland, at No. 20 in the FIFA rankings, will still be favored over 46th-ranked Philippines, Long says they will enter the match thinking that they can win.&quot;Being the Filipino in any sport, I would say you&#x27;re the underdog but that&#x27;s kind of where we thrive. So, we love to punch through the ceiling and we&#x27;ve constantly done that in the past 18 months to get to where we are now,&quot; she noted.&quot;Regardless of our age, our experience, what we&#x27;ve gained in the last 18 months, you can&#x27;t put a price on it but the players can,&quot; she added. &quot;The knowledge we gained, the habits, and the respect we&#x27;ve garnered -- I don&#x27;t think anyone can discredit us.&quot;&quot;So we&#x27;re gonna go in and give it our absolute all, each and every day.&quot;Kick-off between the Philippines and Switzerland is at 1:00 p.m., Manila time.

For the Filipinas, their maiden appearance in a FIFA Women's World Cup is not just about them: it's also for the next generation of Filipino footballers.

Filipinas keeping next generation in mind during World Cup: Long

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Filipinas keeping next generation in mind during World Cup: Long

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 21, 2023 02:34 AM PHT

Read More:

football

FIFA

FIFA Women's World Cup

Philippine women's national football team

PWNFT

Filipinas

Hali Long

New Zealand

Norway

Switzerland

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