AUCKLAND — Jessika Cowart is adamant that she and her teammates from the Philippine Women’s National Football Team will treat tomorrow’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup match against powerhouse Norway just like any other game.
The Filipinas, who are ranked 46th in the world, have the chance to make it to the round of 16 at the expense of Norway, the 12th best nation in the rankings.
While the challenge to upset the Grasshoppers may be a daunting prospect, Cowart states that the Filipinas are not intimidated, even if their counterparts tomorrow night play for the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Manchester United.
“Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, it’s just football. We’ve been playing this game our whole lives, and we approach every game like that. We know our style of play, our tactics, and we’re gonna stick to our guns,” said the 23-year-old defensive midfielder.
“And yeah, I think we approach every game the same way, and it helps that we’ve been consistent over the last 18 months.”
The Filipinas have been involved in high-profile matches before competing in the World Cup. They have played against the likes of Australia and South Korea in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Thailand and Vietnam in the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship, and the United States and Sweden in closed-door friendlies leading up to the World Cup.
Sunday’s match against Norway may be the biggest of the bunch yet. Despite its magnitude, Cowart believes that she and her teammates are in the right place mentally to get a positive result.
“There are 11 of us, and there are 11 of them. There’s a ball, and we want to score, and we want to keep the ball out of our net,” said the IFK Kalmar standout.
“Of course, all the other factors outside of football, the world stage, the players we are playing against, the teams we are playing, that’s all added pressure, but it’s what you make of it, and it’s how you perceive it,” she continued.
“If we go out there and play the game we love and know, that’s all that matters. We’re gonna go out there and fight like we have for the past two games and the past 18 months. We go out there with pride and ‘puso,’ and we’re going to play as hard as we can.”
The permutations for tomorrow’s match are simple. A win for the Filipinas will allow them to move into the next round without any complications. A draw will force Alen Stajcic’s side to rely on Switzerland doing them a favor against New Zealand, while defeat means outright elimination.
For Cowart, she and her teammates will only focus on the things they can control. They have proven difficult to break down in their past two matches, and they promise to play tough against Norway tomorrow night.
“I’m excited any time I get to play football. So, whether it’s against Caroline Graham Hansen or someone from Woodside, California, I’m excited to play football. And so it makes no difference to me. I’m gonna go out there and play against whoever comes out on the field,” she said.
