The night was low in the Philippines on May 20 when the national team's coaching and logistical teams assembled in Manila with the players based in the country and embarked on their journey to fly to Doha on Qatar Airways to prepare for the upcoming World Preliminary 40 tournament. The Philippine Football Association (PFA) concurrently unveiled its 25-man roster, but it did not include the much-anticipated naturalized player from Spain, Maranhão. The list is missing four registrations and it is still unclear whether they will be able to play for the national team.
The big change: half of the players get new faces
Coach Cooper's "renewal" strategy has resulted in a drastic change in the Philippine national team's roster, with new faces occupying almost half of the roster. Most of these players are naturalized through the FIFA rules, due to the complicated procedures of the epidemic, the list has changed many times. The training session scheduled for May 18 was postponed to the 20th, with players flying to Doha from Malaysia, Thailand, Canada and Germany in a tortuous process.
Total Bloodshed: Preparing for the Southeast Asian Championships
The overhaul is not for the June Top 40, but with an eye on the Southeast Asian Championships in December. Twelve of the roster have not played for the Philippines and four of them will be involved in the training but will not be able to represent the national team due to incomplete paperwork. The four are:
Gerrit Holtmann
Jesper Nyholm
Raphael Obermair
Lloyd Fagerlie
New Blood: 12 New Faces to Watch
Despite the refreshed Philippine squad, there are still 11 players who continue their performances from the last WC. Familiar faces such as goalkeeper Etheridge, captain Schrock, and defense stalwart Demuga will anchor the team. Among the new faces, Jefferson Tabinas and Michael Kempt are expected to play key roles in the upcoming season.
Warm-up matches: Legendary opponents have so far materialized
The Philippine team was scheduled to play warm-up matches against Palestine and Syria during their training in Doha, but the warm-up scenario is feared to be difficult to realize due to the epidemic. The team will arrive in Dubai on May 28 to prepare for the World Qualifying Tournament that starts on June 3rd. Despite the challenging preparation process, the Philippine team will still give their best to achieve good results in the tournament.
