SINGAPORE – Marielle Benitez-Javellana remains involved in the football scene long after her retirement. This week, she’s representing One Sports in a foreign coverage of a fantasy clash between Bundesliga and Premier League heavyweights.
Just last week, she was a fan celebrating the Philippine women’s football team’s historic 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup campaign, always proud to help lay the foundation of what the Filipinas are standing on now.
Marielle Benitez on Filipinas' historic World Cup campaign
“I’m beaming and overwhelmed with pride,” said the former national captain, who is in town to cover the exhibition between Bayern Munich and Liverpool FC on Wednesday night in an event backed by Allianz. “It is a milestone syempre for women’s football. I’ve been part of the journey of women’s football and for the Filipinas to reach the Women’s World Cup, that has been a dream come true.”
“I’m just overjoyed and super proud of what the team has done for the country,” she added just days after the Filipinas’ breakthrough World Cup stint highlighted by a 1-0 upset of host New Zealand.
Playing for the national team, then fondly known as Malditas, from the late 2000s to 2013 when women’s football was still trying to gain recognition in the country, Benitez reflected on how far the national team has come a decade later.
“Sobrang layo na,” she admitted. “At that time, we only dreamed of qualifying and making it to the next round. The World Cup was a distant dream. I’ve reached Inna Palacios and the likes of Cam Rodriguez. They were the rookies back then. Now, they’re the leaders and seniors. And they’ve been able to make that dream into reality.”
The Women’s World Cup expansion that increased the participating teams from 24 to 32 in this year’s edition helped the Filipinas’ cause, allowing them to accomplish what their male counterparts, the Azkals, are still dreaming about.
“Ever since we were playing, it was always, we knew that the women’s would always make it first before the men’s,” Benitez said.
“I do remember over the pandemic, we were trying to set up the women’s football association, I was among the other players and coaches…we were saying the biggest chance for us to qualify for the World Cup would be this event, because they opened up the spots. Australia and New Zealand are sure in because they’re hosting it, so there’s that extra spot for Asia.”
“And we were lucky with our draw, so we knew we were capable of winning. Successfully, they were able to make it. But I think down the line, it wasn’t a concrete like ‘when we would qualify.’ I just dreamt that we would qualify. So I’m just happy it did happen this 2023.”
Benitez points to Australian coach Alen Stajcic for bringing a modern approach that has taken Philippine women’s football to a world-class level.
“The whole experience of coach Alen and his coaching staff, I think the top quality or the level of competition he’s been exposed to, the scientific approach in the training, in the preparation, I don’t think we’ve had that before. Now everything is brought down to like statistics, numbers, even the preparation.”
Benitez mentioned some innovations that have benefited recent national teams, including players wearing GPS, getting their heart rates measured, their performance efficiency rated, and their hydration tested every day.
“Even in the youth level, as coaches, nalalaman namin yung level ng hydration ng players, so that affects their play,” said Benitez, who was part of Joyce Landagan’s coaching staff on the national women’s Under-19 team that took part in the Asean Football Federation U-19 Women’s Championship in Indonesia last month.
That U19 squad had at its disposal a strength and conditioning coach and a physiotherapist that tested the girls’ hydration every day.
“Malalaman mo kung sino possible mag-cramps in the game, so that helps in the preparation,” Benitez said. “So you tell them to either load up on hydration or give them hydration salts, because alam naman natin na yung football, the substitution is very crucial, iilan lang, so napaka-importante.”
“Like when the coaches make the starting eleven, that you know the eleven will really be able to function the whole ninety minutes and the substitutions are really just tactical adjustments.”
If that’s already how scientific coaching is in the youth level, what more for the Filipinas?
“Can you just imagine the approach, for sure, of coach Alen and his team, because they’ve been exposed to top-level football. I know they have mga analyses,” Benitez said.
That modern approach – and the landmark successes that came with it – attracted players with Filipino blood abroad to play for the national team.
“With the players, we now have players who, though we had overseas-based in the past, now you have the quality of players who are playing in professional leagues. They play overseas. They get exposure to just top-quality players in Europe, Japan, and Australia. So I think that kind of experience, they’ve been able to bring to the team,” said Benitez, a former UAAP MVP out of La Salle.
“As compared to us in the past na talagang pahirapan,” she was quick to add. “I think now, marami pa ring sacrifices and challenges just to play for the national team, but I think more so during my time na you really spend out of your own pockets, with the team, you have to balance both work or school and training with the national team.”
“I think with these girls, they’ve been given the opportunity to really focus on just training and playing,” she continued.
Benitez, who also acts as the Sports Development and Physical Education Director at Philippine Women’s University, is hoping the Filipinas’ successes would help elevate the local youth scene to become the breeding ground of future seniors’ team players.
“For me, it’s about raising the standards of the homegrown players to find new competitions, we need the games for these girls. If they have an opportunity to even play overseas, they should get that exposure, because playing against professional players, I think that’s the only way for us to level up our kind of competition here in the Philippines,” Benitez said.
Keeping the level up in terms of coaching will also be crucial after the news of Stajcic not returning to the Filipinas after his contract expired.
“It was something we kind of expected, but didn’t really want to hear,” Benitez said, hoping Stajcic was still the one to steer the Filipinas in the Paris Olympic qualifiers. “I think what he has been able to bring to the team is something that will be very difficult to match by the next coach.”
“I think the pressure will be on who the next coach will be selected – both for the coach and the federation,” she added. “Who will the federation pick to bring the girls to the next level after what coach Alen and his staff has done.”
“I’m clueless on who it will be, but I’m just hoping that then next coach and the players will continue on that journey to play for the Philippines whoever the coach will be, and that they’ll be able to continue to inspire the next generations to keep playing the game,” Benitez concluded.
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