Quinley Quezada 'super excited, proud' to be part of Filipinas' FIFA WWC squad

Quinley Quezada is excited to be part of Philippine football history. PFF

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Quinley Quezada's brilliance as one of the Philippine women's football team's main gunners paid off when she was included in the squad's final FIFA Women's World Cup roster.

Before the public announcement made by the Philippine Football Federation on Sunday, head coach Alen Stajcic and national team coordinator Belay Fernando-Dela Cruz personally told Quezada the excellent news as the attacking midfielder revealed on Saturday.

"I was really excited. Just the anticipation that was building up to it to actually finding out--having Alen and Belay actually tell me that I was a part of the roster. I was just super excited and proud," Quezada said in an online media availability.

The Red Star Belgrade star was chosen from about 30 female footballers who Stajcic called up for a one-month "pre-camp" in Australia, who were basically the Filipinas' players in recent matches.

Knowing that a spot in history is on the line, Quezada said that the training camp was competitive.

"We were very fortunate to have like a pre-camp leading up to the camp that we have right now," she said. "We just used that camp to fine-tune us and obviously compete for spots. It was really a competitive environment. All of us gave 100 percent at every single training session."

However, even in the main pre-World Cup camp itself in Auckland, according to Quezada, the training remains intense as the job doesn't end with making the Final 23.

"After the roster was made, I don't think there was necessarily a difference in competitiveness. All of us are still giving 110 percent. We're still competing for starting positions, so I think that competitiveness within the group is still strong and evident in our team right now," she further said.

The Filipinas will have one final tuneup match, a closed-door friendly against world number three Sweden on Monday before they travel to Dunedin to face Switzerland in the Philippines' first-ever FIFA World Cup game.

"It will be a great learning experience. Obviously, Sweden is really good and is ranked very high. They're a great squad. Right now, we're using that time to just see how we do against good opposition like that," Quezada further said.