MANILA – Filipinas forward Chandler McDaniel admitted that she needed to observe fashion models practice for 10 minutes to familiarize herself with walking on adidas’s virtual catwalk last Tuesday at the brand’s official reveal of the national team’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 kits.

“Me, Olivia (McDaniel), and Sofia (Harrison) were super nervous. We watched the other models practice for like 10 minutes, and we’re like, okay, they’re doing this, don’t be so stiff, so we watched them and asked them for some advice,” McDaniel said.

Adidas unveiled the Filipinas’ three new game jerseys to be used in the world’s most prestigious women’s football competition – “Bughaw,” “Pula,” and “Puti,” along with yellow and green colorways for their goalkeepers.

The McDaniel sisters and Harrison were joined by fellow women’s seniors squad members Inna Palacios, Hali Long, Maya Alcantara, and Alicia Barker on stage, as hundreds of fans lined up for autographs and pictures afterwards.

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“Once we walked out and everybody started cheering, we were like, this is so fun,” Chandler said.

Nowadays, the Filipinas’ schedule pushes them to postpone holidays, move family gatherings, and sacrifice important occasions in their lives.

Having to take impromptu modelling lessons on the fly is extra work, yet Harrison does not bother doing all of them.

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” the left-back exclaimed. “The last year has been a lot. Tight schedules, sacrifices from team staff, coaches, but at the end of the day, we get to play football for our country with our friends.”

From the moment the Filipinas embarked on a long-term goal to reach the World Cup stage, everyone understood the magnitude of what it meant to be part of the squad – from players to coaches and team officials, and even their families.

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“I haven’t seen my husband since November,” team coordinator Belay Fernando-De La Cruz shared.

A former women’s national team player herself, the wife of former Alaska Ace Tony Dela Cruz said having everyone involved buy into the process makes a difference.

“Most of the time, things are just moving so fast and you don’t get the time to think. Everything’s been scheduled since 2021,” she shared.

“We’ve been on this ride, this schedule, and it’s just non-stop. I think the biggest part here is we have a really understanding family – spouses, everyone.”

From 2022 to mid-2023 alone, the Filipinas have been to 10 countries in five continents. Some of their memorable camps included a pair of friendlies each against Chile and Costa Rica, as well as participating in the Pinatar Cup in Spain.

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Before Cambodia, the Filipinas were in Tajikistan too, where they swept Hong Kong, Pakistan, and the host nation in the first round of the AFC Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament.

Such a taxing schedule can take its toll on each one of them. Add to that the reality that the Filipinas are scattered across the globe on a regular basis, playing professional club football for various countries like Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, and the United States,

But when the Filipinas are reminded of the journey’s purpose, everything is put into perspective.

“The travel is hard, having to travel 12 plus, 24 plus hours, but at the end of the day, we have to get focused on why we’re there and what we’re doing it for,” Alcantara said.

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A native of Rancho-Cucamonga in California, Alcantara will turn 23 in July 22, right during the thick of the Filipinas’ group stage campaign in the World Cup in New Zealand.

Should she make the final lineup, more family trips shall be delayed, but for a noble cause.

“When we look back at this five, 10 years from now, we’re not going to be focused on all the negative things, all the hard sacrifices that we put in to this; we’re going to be focused more on the time that we’ve spent together and the amount of improvement and progression that we’ve made for football in the Philippines,” she said.

For Barker, a Southeast Asian Games first-timer, the sacrifices only prove how privileged they are to don the national colors.

“It’s a very big commitment but more than that, it’s really just a privilege that we have the opportunity to play for our country,” the Pacific Northwest FC defender said.

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“Regardless of all the time that we put in, I wouldn’t want to change it, I wouldn’t want to have it any other way. I’m just so grateful that we have these experiences and get together as a team and train, and it’s been great.”

A few days before the adidas event in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, McDaniel was among the Filipinas who visited the Philippines Football League fixture between Stallion Laguna FC and Mendiola FC 1991 on Sunday.

Harrison, Barker, and the rest were also present during the UAAP Season 85 women’s football playoff between the De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines, involving themselves in the local football scene shortly after a grueling Cambodia stint.

After the World Cup, the grind will not stop for the Filipinas. In October, the squad will face Chinese Taipei, Australia, and Iran in the second round of the Olympic qualifiers.

It would mean more passport stamps for each player, coaching staff member, or official. It would also mean more birthdays or family gatherings possibly missed.

But then again, the Filipinas would not want to have it any other way. They all agreed to be part of history, and not the other way around.

“It’s never easy to travel, it’s hard on the body, but when you’re gonna go play for your country with your team, it makes it a lot easier,” Harrison said.

“It’s just been a ride. It’s not always easy. You have to sacrifice a lot of things, missing out on a lot of events, but it’s a once in a lifetime thing, so we’re taking this opportunity and we’re going with it,” Fernando-Dela Cruz added.

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