The Filipinas have gained many newcomers this year, all hungry for a spot on the squad.
The Philippine Women’s National Football Team is on the World Cup trail once again.
After the squad, better known as the Filipinas, made their FIFA Women’s World Cup debut in 2023 and wrote history as the first Philippine team to ever compete in a football World Cup, a new standard was set. Now, as head coach Mark Torasco shared, “For us, it’s all about the World Cup again.”
With this mission in mind, the team has been back in Manila for the past week and a half for a nine-day training camp. The camp culminated in an inter-team exhibition match on February 25, which resulted in a 1-1 draw between a team made up of mostly newcomers and youngsters, and a team composed of national team veterans.
These training activities, held in the newly inaugurated MOA Football Pitch, are meant to prepare the ladies for a busy year ahead. As part of their journey to qualifying for the World Cup, they will be taking on three major tasks in 2025: the ASEAN Women’s Championship, the Asian Cup Qualifiers, and the Southeast Asian Games.
And to make the most out of this rare opportunity to train together and prep for these goals, the PFF called up 31 players, a mix of veteran members and newcomers alike.
“For us, again, it’s just about creating a nice big pool of players and having good, strong players so we can be very competitive in the future,” Torasco shared.
PFF National Team Director Freddy Gonzalez added, “The newcomers are bringing a lot of athleticism, a lot of energy. They’re raising the level even more, and so, it’s woken up a lot of not just the younger players, because of course the younger players are fighting for their spot, but also the veterans.
“So, it’s showing the veterans that we mean business, and we want to lift up the level of the Filipinas…So, the goals for this year are to basically qualify Asian Cup, because that leads us to the World Cup, win the AFF, and win the SEA Games. So, and in order to do that, we gotta lift up the level, and not rest on our laurels, and bring in more players that can help us reach those goals.”
The Filipinas, indeed, have many newcomers and young players who are ready to step up in the hopes of reaching another World Cup. Among the group of fresh faces, here are some of the standout players who you should watch out for.
Emma Tovar
Among the new players joining the Filipinas this year is Emma Tovar, a 21-year-old midfielder who currently plays for Valencia CF Valencia CF Femenino, a Spanish side that competes in Spain’s top women’s league, Liga F.
“I do have a lot of experience playing at a very high level, and I think that can be really beneficial to the team. I think I can bring a really high intensity,” she shared after making her debut with the Filipinas at the exhibition match held at the MOA Football Pitch.
Coach Mark Torasco had good things to say about her after witnessing her in action over the nine-day training camp. “A new player that was here today [during the exhibition match at the MOA Football Pitch], Emma Tovar, she plays in Spain. European flair. You can see the way she can move around the ball,” he praised.
A highly experienced player at a young age, her presence could definitely be a huge asset to the Filipinas.
Jaime Turrentine
Jaime Turrentine brings years of experience to the Filipinas. At 30 years old, she has played for many professional teams all over the world in countries like Ireland, Poland, and Portugal, and has been on the team’s radar for some time.
“Jaime is someone that I’ve tracked for a very long time and I know that previous coaches have also tracked her. She’s a very, very important player for something that we want for the future,” Torasco revealed.
Turrentine, who currently plays as a defender for Vitória Sport Clube in the second division of the Portuguese women’s league, actually participated in training camps for the Filipinas back in 2013 and 2014. She observes that the level of the team has definitely been raised since she last trained with them, and this keeps her motivated to reach her dream of playing at the World Cup.
Alexa Pino
Among the many new additions to the Filipinas squad this year, Coach Mark is especially excited about the youngsters who have been a part of the U20s side. “They’re constantly developing and surprising us,” he shared.
Among the youngsters is 17-year-old Alexa Pino. Though she is still in high school, competing in Connecticut for the St. Joseph High School women’s soccer team, she is already showing her might as she won the 2023-24 Gatorade Connecticut Girls Soccer Player of the Year Award for scoring 39 goals and making 19 assists in a single season.
Alexa has also been a member of the Philippines’ youth squad since 2024. She first made her U17 debut in February 2024 and since then, has been one of the youth teams’ regular call-ups.
Inday Tolentin
Dionesa “Inday” Tolentin is one of the country’s top young players.
Playing for the Far Eastern University Women’s Football Team in the UAAP, she was awarded Most Valuable Player in Season 86, as she led the squad to an undefeated run that culminated in their 12th UAAP title. On top of this, she has also been awarded the Golden Boot and Best Striker awards.
A scoring machine, her name was one of those mentioned by Coach Mark Torasco when asked about the standout youngsters from the nine-day training camp. “We say Inday Tolentin come on [during the exhibition match] and was excellent, and she’s someone that is a big part of our project going forward.”
Mallie Ramirez
Freddy Gonzalez pointed to Mallie Ramirez, among others, as one of the standout newcomers to the Filipinas squad in 2025. Born in Cebu, Mallie plays as a midfielder and a forward for the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Throughout the past three seasons she’s spent competing for UNLV, she has scored a total of 13 goals, which is recorded as the most by any of the team’s players in that timeframe.
Maz Pacheco
Another name that Freddy Gonzalez was quick to recognize as one of the newcomers to watch out for is Maz Pacheco.
Although she was unable to attend the nine-day training camp with the Filipinas due to a recent injury, the 26-year-old brings a lot of valuable experience to the squad. Playing professionally in England, she currently plays as a defender for the Aston Villa Women’s Football Club in the Women’s Super League, the highest level of women’s football in the country.
Pacheco already joined the Filipinas’ training camp in Turkey in 2024 and quickly made an impression on head coach Mark Torasco, who values professional experience in his squads.
“The great thing is a lot of our players are playing in good leagues right now. And that’s going to improve them for us. And that’s the most important thing for me, that they’re playing in good leagues. And they’re going to be ready for us when we need to call upon them,” Torasco shared.
Now with the training camp behind them, where he was impressed by all the 30-plus players who were called up, Coach Mark knows he has a tough task ahead of him — though he appreciates this fact.
“That has to be my job and that has to be the priority for me. I have to have a headache, I believe, at the end of every camp to pick the best players for the next camp. I feel sometimes it’s not the best if you’ve only got a selected handful that you always pick. You need competition for us to be strong again. And going forward and go to another World Cup.”
Banner images courtesy of Philippine Football Federation.