Filipinas begin their title defense in the Asean Women’s Championship on Thursday against Timor-Leste in Vietnam.–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine women’s football team launches its title-retention bid in the Asean Women’s Championship on Thursday against Timor-Leste at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho, Vietnam.

Coach Mark Torcaso’s side is eager to take the full three points in the 7:30 p.m. local time match (8:30 p.m. Philippine time) and kick start the quest to repeat the run the Filipinas had three years ago when they won before home fans at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

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Torcaso has brought in seven debutants for the competition, which he’ll also use to prepare the squad for next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the qualifier for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup.

Sarina Bolden, Sara Eggesvik, Meryll Serrano, Angie Beard and Jaclyn Sawicki won’t see action either due to injuries or club commitments, thus the Filipinas will make do with whoever they have.

Hali Long, sisters Olivia and Chandler McDaniel and Quinley Quezada lead the way for Filipinas in Group B where they’ll also face the Australia U-23 team and Myanmar.

The top two teams advance to the semifinals of the tournament also known commercially as the Asean Serenity Cup, along with their counterparts from Group A.

READ: Filipinas in Asian Cup’s veritable group of death

In Group A are 2022 runner-up Thailand, host Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

Thailand, eager to bounce back from losing to the Philippines in the final, thrashed Indonesia, 7-0, at Lach Tray Stadium in Haiphong as the tournament unfurled on Wednesday.

The Filipinas have been in Vietnam since the start of the week, holding training sessions in the days leading up to their opening assignment.