By Alejandra Ocampo

There’s a new Ellerstina in town. First the new shirts – they dropped the black ones they wore for years and returned to the club’s original colours: Navy blue and white. And secondly, because Hilario Ulloa has joined the three Pieres brothers in the lineup. It has proved to be a spectacular change, because anyone who sees them play can hardly tell that Ulloa has just joined the team – he has adapted quickly to a team with a rich history and high expectations.

The 2020 version of Ellerstina started the season beating La Dolfina in the final of the Tortugas Open. “It was a different La Dolfina, of course, but it is still La Dolfina,” shares Gonzalito Pieres. “So having won Tortugas is a great motivation for us.” Gonzalito also shared that he is very happy with the team’s performance so far, and that he feels they are in a good position for the challenge they face ahead: the semifinal of the Hurlingham Open against La Natividad Las Monjitas.

“I liked our performance, the way we played the final,” continues Gonzalito. “Hilario is already part of the team, and Nico is playing very well at Back. The two of them gives us a lot of confidence,” Gonzalito concedes.

What do you foresee in the semifinal against La Natividad Las Monjitas?

Well, we will take it step by step, but our aim is to win everything. We know the semifinal against La Natividad Las Monjitas will be very tough, because they are improving match after match. They played a great quarterfinal against La Dolfina Polo Ranch. So, in order to achieve our goal, we have to be well prepared and focused on our performance.

This semifinal will be particularly significant because former Ellerstina player Polito Pieres will take on his cousins. Polito left Ellerstina to play with the La Natividad Las Monjitas but, as Gonzalito says, there is no bad blood between them: “While we would prefer to play against someone else, playing against Polito is different now, it will be fun! We are used to playing against each other, because we have done it abroad many times. This will be different, because we will both be defending our respective teams, but with the best of intentions.”