TALKING POINTS: Why Marlon Maro might be the ideal head coach for the PWNFT?

(image credits: Football Tribe)

In the face of tougher international duties ahead for the Philippine Women’s National Football Team (PNWFT), the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has decided to bank on local tactician Marlon Maro as he was named as its newest head coach earlier today.

Loaded with experience with Philippine football spanning through numerous decades, Maro is looking forward to calling the shots for the Filipinas as they compete in the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying round this September, as well as the 31st Southeast Asian Games which is temporarily postponed.

Coming off a successful last couple of years, the PNWFT is still hungry in chasing glory in the continent, with possibly a Women’s World Cup qualification slot in play. Stakes are running higher, and Maro will need to do more to be able to lead the Filipinas into dreamland.

But is Marlon Maro the coach that will take them to greater heights? Let’s list down why he might be the fit for the role.

1. He has already handled the PNWFT before

This coaching designation is not unchartered territory for Maro, as he had an earlier stint coaching the Filipinas from 2001 to 2007, a lengthy six-year tenure which saw him guide the team through three SEA Games and two AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaigns.

However, the campaigns were short-lived as the PNWFT failed to advance past the group stage in these competitions and were being subject to some severe beatdowns from their superior opponents as well.

But it can’t be denied that his first stint solidified his selection as the new head coach, knowing his vast experience about the local women’s game long before the squad’s international resurgence, and he's influencing a rising wave of coaches like Let Dimzon and Buda Bautista and many more as the PFF's Coaching Education Head.

2. He is an accomplished coach in the local grassroots level

Maro is quietly known inside the football community as one of the remaining long-time figures in the local collegiate scene. He has been credited for the rise of the De La Salle Greenhills football program, leading to the Greenies’ domination in the NCAA juniors football program.

He recreated this success with the College of Saint Benilde men’s football squad, winning the title in NCAA 2010 and from there on, has succeeded in forming a team that is regularly contending and providing a challenge to the league’s powerhouse San Beda University.

Despite that, Maro has not been able to achieve anything in the domestic club level before to stamp his class as a premier tactician. His most recent sojourn involves the now-defunct Philippines Football League (PFL) side Davao Aguilas FC. Maro was immediately brought in to replace Gary Phillips in September 2017 and inherited a strengthened squad headlined by Phil Younghusband, James Younghusband, Matt Hartmann and Dylan de Bruycker. Despite the star power, Maro wasn’t able to capitalize and resigned in May 2018, after just less than a year in charge.

He also headed the U22 men’s national team from 2015 and 2017 where he failed to bring the squad past the SEA Games group stages. Moreover, he has been notorious in the eyes of local fans after heading the Azkals’ disappointing campaign in the 2017 CTFA Invitational Tournament, where the Filipinos suffered defeats against Chinese Taipei and Timor Leste.

3. Knowledgeable with local talent

Most of the PNWFT’s talent pool is still sourced from within the country, with most of them playing either in the UAAP, the amateur PFF Women’s League, and the 7’s Football League.

Considering Maro’s experience with local grassroots teams and knowledge of the domestic matters of women’s football from his past experiences, he will look to bond and solidify the pool of homegrown talent in the country and take them to a higher level of play, headlined by Inna Palacios, Sara Castaneda, Irish Navaja, Alisha del Campo and Charisa Lemoran.

It will be an important task for Maro to integrate foreign-based talent in the squad and make it work, considering that competitive women’s football in the country hasn’t been given the go-signal to play since the COVID pandemic began. On the other hand, players like Eva Madarang and Quinley Quezada have made the jump to overseas leagues.

The gap between experience and fitness of the players will prove to be a tricky challenge for Maro and the PWNFT as they turn to face much more important battles in the Asian stage.

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Considering all the experiences and the current setting on play, Marlon Maro will have his hands full on his aim to rejig and prepare the Filipinas as they aim to come back into the international stage with a bang.

Despite the polarizing opinions that the community might have, it’s up to Maro to silence the doubters and bring glory to the PNWFT and boost what’s already a rising women’s football scene in the country. Only time will tell if he can prove himself or melt under the pressure of the challenges lying ahead. /ESBFPH