By: Icko De Guzman
HAIPHONG, Vietnam – The Filipinas may have fallen short of the ASEAN MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 semifinals, but for head coach Mark Torcaso, the tournament served its purpose: testing the squad’s depth and fast-tracking young talent.
The Philippine Women’s National Team bowed out of the tournament after a 1–1 draw with Myanmar at Lach Tray Stadium here on Wednesday evening.
They finished third in Group B with four points — the result of a win over Timor-Leste, a narrow loss to Australia, and the stalemate against Myanmar.
It marks their first group-stage exit in the competition since 2019.
Torcaso admitted the team’s sluggish start proved costly in the deciding match. Myanmar drew first blood in the 33rd minute via a Win Theingi Tun penalty.
The Filipinas clawed back in the 71st through Nina Mathelus’ equalizer, setting up a tense finale, but late chances went unconverted.
“We started a little bit too slow,” Torcaso reflected. “In the second half, we put a fair bit of pressure on them and probably could have come away with another goal or two, but that’s the reality of the situation we’re in.”
Yet even in defeat, the Australian mentor saw the bigger picture.
From the outset, the Serenity Cup was part of a larger developmental blueprint — one that gave younger players a platform to prove themselves.
Debutants like Dionesa Tolentin, Aaliyah Schinaman, Adelaide Wyrzysnki, Azumi Oka, Tea Pidding, and Isabella Alamo seized the opportunity, delivering promising performances that hinted at the team’s future potential.
“This was a really good learning curve for all of us, the team, the coaches, to see some of our young players play,” Torcaso said.
“I’m extremely proud of every one of our players. We had a number of debuts in the national and youth teams, and some of them scored goals and played big minutes. As a coach, it’s important to see that because it helps me make good decisions going forward.”
With bigger battles on the horizon — including the 33rd Southeast Asian Games and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup — Torcaso is already looking ahead.
He sees the SEA Games as a crucial preparation ground, one that will offer competitive matches and a near-complete roster, an advantage not all Asian rivals will enjoy.
“We’ll maximize the SEA Games, hopefully play five matches, and have almost all our national team players available. It’s going to give us really competitive games before the Asian Cup.”
