High Standards for the Women's National Football Team

Ahead of the 2024 U-17 Women's Asian Cup, the selection of national team players begins. Coach Satoru Mochizuki sets high standards.

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

Young female soccer players show off their skills during the U-17 national team selection at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta on Wednesday evening (March 28th, 2024).

The coach of the Indonesian women's national football team, Satoru Mochizuki, has set high standards to fill the squad for the U national team -17. Because, apart from the 2024 U-17 Women's Asian Cup in May, players will also be prepared for the senior national team later. On the other hand, Satoru faces difficulties choosing players.

A total of 38 young female football players showcased their skills on Field A of Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta on Wednesday (28/3/2024) night. After warming up and practicing passes, these players were divided into two teams to compete. They tried to display their best performance in the first selection round for the U-17 women's national team.

During the selection process that took place from March 25 to 27, 2023, coach Satoru Mochizuki monitored from the stands while taking notes. This Japanese tactics expert also communicated with PSSI Technical Director Indra Sjafri, who was also present.

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Satoru sets high standards for the U-17 national team squad. There are several aspects that become the assessment criteria, such as speed and body posture. Satoru, for example, is looking for tall and big players who can be trained and relied upon to win aerial balls.

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

The coach of Indonesia's women's national football team, Satoru Mochizuki (left), and PSSI Technical Director, Indra Sjafri, are monitoring the abilities of the players participating in the U-17 national team selection at Field A of Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday evening (3/28/2024).

"In addition, players must also have good communication skills and be able to liven up the atmosphere of the game. This way, these players can move and energize the team," said Satoru.

In his observation, Satoru compared the skills of Indonesian female football players and Japanese players. According to Satoru, Indonesian players do not have sufficient skills on the field yet. The former member of the coaching staff of the Japanese female national team also assessed that the perseverance of Indonesian players on the field needs to be improved.

I'm still having quite a hard time choosing the players because this is the first time they've been collected. So, the basis of his abilities is not yet known.

Despite this, Satoru is confident in the process that the players will undergo. When they are signed and officially introduced to the public in February 2024, Satoru will bring a long-term vision for the development of football. The formation of the U-17 national team will also be part of the foundation for the senior national team in the future.

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So, even though the players' abilities are still lacking, this 59 year old coach is optimistic that they can improve as long as they train hard. Moreover, Satoru and PSSI are planning a long-term training camp for these young players.

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

Young female soccer players show off their skills during the U-17 national team selection at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta on Wednesday evening (March 28th, 2024).

"I want players like that (according to the criteria) so that they can become world-class elite players. However, I understand that this is still very far away because they are still under 17 years old. So, it certainly takes time," said Satoru.

In the process of forming the U-17 national team, Satoru slowly started to see the picture of female football players in the homeland. This is important for Satoru who once said that he didn't know much about the development of Indonesian female football.

Apart from assessing the extent of Indonesian players' abilities, Satoru also begins to feel the difficulty of making choices. Moreover, Satoru must choose players from a selection process that takes place in a short period of time.

Also read: Women's Football Isn't Just Kicking the Ball

"I am still struggling to choose players because this is the first time they have been gathered. So, their basic skills are not yet known. They are also playing for the first time and meeting in one team, so it's still difficult to choose," said Satoru.

KOMPAS/REBIYYAH SALASAH

Young female soccer players show off their skills during the U-17 national team selection at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta on Wednesday evening (March 28th, 2024).

Previously, Satoru scouted players by "roaming" to several areas. The selected players represented regions from North Sumatra to South Papua. They often play and train in football schools or academies. Some of them are also sponsored athletes from regional programs.

Keisya Olivia (15), for example, comes from the National Sports Football Academy in Jakarta and Depok. Keisya said that it was not easy to play with several players she had never known before. Keisya feels lucky because she was finally able to build chemistry with her teammates so she could unleash her abilities.

"Actually, today was tough because it was the last day our game was judged. Everyone was stubborn, trying their best. But it was exciting because the competition was healthy," said Keisya, who usually plays as a midfielder and winger.

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In the first selection phase, Satoru will choose 10-15 players. Then, there will be a second selection phase held on March 29-31, 2024. However, Satoru has not yet determined the number of players to be selected in the future.

AFC

The draw results of the 2024 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup or the 2024 Women's U-17 Asian Cup, which was held in Bali, Indonesia on May 6-19, 2024.

Satoru only has less than two months to prepare the team for the 2024 Women's U-17 Asia Cup. The tournament will be held in Bali from May 6-19, 2024. Indonesia is grouped in Group A, along with South Korea, North Korea, and the Philippines.