Saturday, October 16, was a day Matías Torres Zavaleta won’t ever forget. The 8-goaler stepped into Ellerstina as a substitute for Hilario Ulloa who was sidelined due to an injury in the first match of the Tortugas Open. Torres Zavalenta then went on to play the rest of the tournament for the first time.

“I am super happy to be here,” says Torres Zavaleta. “I am very grateful to Ellerstina for calling me up and trusting me. I also want to thank my family, my friends, my wife, and all those who supported me, in good times and bad. It is not easy to make it here, it is not easy to get an opportunity for a team like Ellerstina. I have a lot to be thankful for.”

It has been a long road for Torres Zavaleta, who has put in much effort to get to where he is. “I started to playing in Coronel Suarez, then came to play to Buenos Aires, where I have been playing all my life, mostly in Tortugas,” he points out. “So having won Tortugas is amazing.”

Torres Zavaleta will be playing with Pilot in the 2022 season in the United States, a crucial development in claiming his place in the Ellerstina organisation.  He highlights how important the support and trust provided by Curtis Pilot and Facundo Pieres has been. “Curtis and Facu gave me the opportunity to be a part of Pilot, a great organisation, a great team,” he concludes. “I am very happy and much looking forward to it.”

WATCH THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH MATIAS TORRES ZAVALETA (POLOLINE TV)