Malditas continue AFC Asian Cup preparations

The participants in the Malditas Scouting Combine / ID / training camp in Corona, California, alongside team officials, including Philippine Football Federation president Mariano "Nonong" Araneta. Photo from Ernie Nierras.

With the Senior Men's National Team currently trying to get themselves into the AFC Asian Cup, the Senior Women's National Team has already made it to said competition, which will take place in Jordan next year.

The Malditas survived the AFC Asian Cup for Women qualifiers in Tajikistan by finishing second in Group A, and with group winners Jordan already secured a spot as the tournament hosts, the Philippines gets the bid. The other six nations taking part in the top women's continental tournament are fellow ASEAN sides Thailand and Vietnam, Korea Republic, former champions Australia and China, and defending champions Japan.

In order to prepare for Asian Cup, the Philippine Football Federation under the leadership of Mariano "Nonong" Araneta has taken the cudgels with getting the team ready for the tournament. Araneta himself is personally overseeing the operation, called Project: Jordan, with the assistance of a team that includes Vincent Santos of the MVP Sports Foundation as the Project Director, Jefferson Cheng as Team Manager, Ernie Nierras as Technical Manager, Carlo Rodriguez for Marketing and Media, Filbert Alquiros for Finance, and Mark Mangune for Liason and Player Pool

The team has enlisted Rich Boon as the head coach. He is the Director for Girls Development at Corinthians SC in California, and has twenty-five years of coaching experience. Comprising his coaching staff are Assistant Coach Clint McDaniel, GK Coach Eric Miselroy, and Staff Coaches Joey Hoffman and Carey Rosenberry. Agreement was officially sealed earlier this week with the contract signing.

The camp in Corona drew forty participants, fourteen of which has had previous national team experience. Two of the participants are based in the Philippines: Natasha Alquiros and Camille Rodriguez.

The list of participants are as follows:

Participants with national team experience based in the Philippines

Natasha Alquiros
Camille Rodriguez

Participants with national team experience based overseas who have graduated from college:

Chalise Baysa
Morgan Brown
Alexa Diaz
Hali Long
Shelby Salvacion
Pat Tomanon

Participants with national team experience based overseas who are still in college:

Sidra Bugsch (Cal Poly)
Caitlyn Kreutz (UNLV)
Claire Lim (UC-Santa Cruz)
Eva Madarang (Rogers State)
Hanna Parado (University of Colorado-Colorado Springs)
Camille Wilson (University of San Francisco)

Participants without national team experience based overseas who are still in college:

Carissa Christensen (Texas Tech)
Olivia Davies (Milwaukee)
Crystal Sanchez (College of the Canyons)
Keagan Bolibol (Point Loma)
Dylan Patterson (Winthrop)
Kara Montilla (New Mexico State)
Sofia Harrison (Slippery Rock)
Jessica Miclat (UC-Irvine)
Megan Abutin (Cal Poly)
Nerisse Bugho (UC-Riverside)
Michelle Feinberg (University of San Francisco)
Ryley Bugay (Marquette)
Quinley Quezada (UC-Riverside)
Kaya Hawkinson (Palos Verdes HS, committed to Cal State-Fullerton)
Chandler McDaniel (Virginia Tech)
Amy Aquino (Cal State-Northridge)
Mackenzie Magaoay (Long Beach State)
Nicole Tentativa (Centennial College (Canada))
Sarina Bolden (Loyola Marymount)

Participants without national team experience based overseas not currently playing in college:

Lauren Bellone (Long Island University alumna)
Tahnai Annis (Florida alumna, current assistant coach at Averett University)
Tiffany Dimaculangan (Westmont College alumna)
Calah Simarago (UC-Santa Barbara alumna, currently playing with Fram Ajax Soccer Club in WPSL)
Leah Larot (Sacramento State alumna, elder sister of former Philippine international Raylene Larot)
Cathrine Buccat Graversen (who is of Danish descent and is playing with KoldingQ in Denmark)
Kaela Reisfelt (Whittier College alumna)

Project Jordan Staff:

Project Head: Mariano V. Araneta
Project Director: Vincent Santos
Liaison Officer: Samantha Nierras
Technical Manager: Ernest Nierras
Head Coach: Rich Boon
Assistant Coach: Clint McDaniel
Goalkeeping Coach: Eric Miselroy
Staff Coach: Joey Hoffman and Carey Rosenberry
PT Staff: Winners Circle Athletics
Head Performance Trainer: Eliseo Cabildo
Assistant Performance Trainer: Wes Brule
PT/AT: Roger Magsino and Ryan Reyes
Team Manager: Jeff Cheng
Finance Manager: Filbert Alquiros
Marketing and Media: Carlo M. Rodriguez
Media: Mia Montayre
Liaison and Player Pooling Officer: Mark Mangune