Soleen hails Young Tigresses' fight after bruising qualifiers
Malaysia opened their Group F fixtures with a 3-0 loss to Iran before being thrashed 16-0 by reigning champions Japan.
They ended on a high on Sunday, beating Guam 2-0 at the KLFA Stadium thanks to a brace from Kaseh Carlmila.
"It was a challenging tournament," said Soleen.
"We lost several key players to injuries and school exams, and many in this squad had limited game time in the National Women's League. That affected our cohesion and readiness. But despite it all, they gave it everything."
Malaysia pressed with urgency and fought for every ball against Guam, with Kaseh's goals coming from slick team play rather than individual brilliance — a quality Soleen was quick to highlight.
For her, the qualifiers were "a mirror" revealing both promise and glaring gaps.
"This shows there's still plenty to be done at development level. We're already planning an Under-18 league to give these players regular competitive football. It's a key step forward," she said.
Head coach Cameron Ng admitted the campaign had been both "humbling and motivating."
"Against Japan, it was women versus girls. It hurts to lose like that, but without facing teams like them, we'll never know how far behind we are," he said.
"No matter the scoreline, these girls fought. For many, this is the platform to step up to the senior team."
Guam coach Kim Sherman, whose squad had been assembled just over a week before the tournament, praised her side's discipline and fight.
"There was a moment the game could have gone either way. But I'm proud of the chances we created," she said.
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3 days ago
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4 days ago
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