(Reproduced below is the news article summarizing the achievements of our team in the 2007 editions of the Dana and Norway Cups.)
05 August 2007, Manila, Philippines. The Rizal Football Association (RIFA) Philippines Girls Under-13 Football Team returned to Manila today after an outstanding showing on the European youth soccer tour. It surpassed all expectations as the lone Southeast Asian participant in the Dana Cup in Denmark, which was held from 23 July to 28 July 2007, finishing third in the Group B Division. It also competed as the youngest team and sole Southeast Asian entrant in the 29 July to 04 August 2007 edition of the Norway Cup in Oslo, Norway, making it to the Quarterfinals in the Group B Division.
The team is composed of students from RIFA member-schools PAREF Woodrose School, HEdCen (Holistic Education and Development Center), Miriam College, and Colegio de San Agustin. This was the first time that players from different schools participated in the Dana and Norway Cups, two of the biggest international tournaments in youth soccer.
RIFA Board member and treasurer Emma Fernandez and Coach Potenciano Fernandez, who handled the RIFA selection, led the contingent. Before the team’s departure last month, Mrs. Fernandez said that RIFA believes that our young Pinay football players can shine in these international football tournaments. “These girls are only 13 years old but they have the talent, skills and technique and are determined to be competitive. Of course, an added incentive for them is getting to wear the Philippine team colors for the first time.” Coach Potenciano Fernandez added that exposing the team to the experience of playing in international competitions would help our girls become world-class players and spread the popularity of the sport in the Philippines.
RIFA Philippines Girls U-13 Team’s preparation spanned a 6-month period and included joining local tournaments such as the 2007 Barotac Nuevo and Santa Barbara Football Festivals in Iloilo, where they went up against older and stronger opponents in the open division groups. The team finished 1st runner-up in the 7-a-side Under 17 years old category in the RIFA Summer Football League last 17th of May, came in third in the Generals Cup in Villamor Airbase Protacio Field held on the 23rd of June 2007, and topped their division as champions in the Milo Cup at Fort Bonifacio Field ASCOM on 26 May 2007.
At the Dana Cup in Hjørring, Denmark, the team competed in the G13 division mostly made up of teams coming from Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Germany. After a draw in their opener and a demoralizing 0-6 defeat in their second game, RIFA Philippines Girls U-13 found their bearings and with ace strikers Aira dela Cruz and Marsha Nackaerts blasting away, racked up a string of four consecutive wins. However, their dream run ended as they lost, 1-3, to eventual champion Horsens FC 2 in the Group B semifinals, with striker Marsha Nackaerts netting the lone goal for the team, a fantastic long shot from mid-field.
Despite not making it to the finals, RIFA Philippines exited the Dana Cup with a surprisingly impressive record. The only Southeast Asian contestant in the Girls U-13 Group dominated by Scandinavian FCs finished a very respectable 7th out of 31 teams.
The girls performed admirably as well in the Norway Cup in Oslo, the largest international youth soccer competition in the world. RIFA Philippines joined the event as the youngest of 77 teams and sole Southeast Asian participant in the 7 a-side competition for girls 14 years old and younger. Against overwhelming odds and physically stronger and heftier opponents, it reached the quarterfinals stage and eventually placed 5th in the Group B division of the tournament, with the overachieving Philippine girls bowing out only after a closely-fought down-the-wire match against Gurskøy COOP, losing 1-2 at the very last minute of extra time on Gurskøy COOP’s golden goal.
The twelve members of the team are: Pat Depante (Team Captain and right striker, Woodrose), Aira dela Cruz (left striker, Woodrose), Nikki de Leon (defender, CSA), Ynez Gonzalez (midfielder, Woodrose), Fil-Korean Sun Mi Hwang (striker, Miriam College), Miela Lilles (midfielder, Woodrose), Belgian-Filipino Marsha Catandijan-Nackaerts (striker, HEdCen), Angela Nguyen (2nd goalkeeper, Woodrose), Inna Palacios (1st goalkeeper, CSA), Camille Rodriguez (midfielder, Miriam College), Riana Santos (defender, HEdCen), and Sofia Sazon (defender, Woodrose). They were accompanied by soccer moms Mallotte Santos and Margie Sazon.
You can check out the RIFA Philippines Girls U-13 Team’s online blog of its amazing campaigns in the Dana and Norway Cups at http://hedcen.com/dana-team/.
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