Interviews
Pilará Piaget, a review
Sebastián Merlos conformed, but he knows they could have done better, and is already thinking of next season
By Ramón Casares, Wildlife Photography
-How about a season review?
-Sebastián Merlos: We’ve had a better season than last year, which was also a good one. The feeling I have is that it was stronger and more important than last year. I know that if we improve in certain aspects, this is a solid team. I have a whole year to get ready for next season. We are in conditions to win something. We lost Tortugas –without Agustín (Merlos) playing- by very little, we lost Hurlingham in extra time, and we missed reaching the Palermo final by one goal.
-Was this year better or worse than what you people expected?
-It didn’t surprise me. Last year probably yes; we were a new team and we had never played together before, it was the first time I was playing as a three... everything was new. But this year we managed what we knew we could manage, and people were expecting us to do well. I have a bitter feeling about the Palermo final, but I am happy because the team has a good chance in the future.
-Did Agustín’s ban cause a lot of damage?
-That is one of the matter which has to be settled. As a team, things like that tip you over and it makes you lose a month of being able to play together and to practise things. Luckily, Agustín is a great player and that one-month layoff didn’t cause much damage for him. But it didn’t do us any good. We have to improve the horses, we must not conform ourselves. We have do our homework so as to reach next year in good conditions.
-Which was the best match?
-Maybe, the good moments we had during the match against Indios Chapaleufú II, at Palermo, or the match against Chapa Uno at Hurlingham. But the best was the first chukker against Chapa II at Palermo.
-And the worst one?
-Without any doubts, the one against Alegría at Hurlingham, We knew we could lose, but we preferred to look after the horses... we did everything in the wrong way. Those are the days in which things don’t turn out well and when you think that you’re going to recover but you don’t. But careful, it’s not that we want to take away anything from Alegría’s merits.
-What were you aiming at as a team when the season kicked off?
-We are a team in which we don’t speak very much. We all know how we want to play and that each team-mate is giving his absolute all, but we had talked about playing in an open way, something which we enjoy doing, and to hit many backhanders and long passes, and to try and be orderly in our positions within the field. Enjoy ourselves and play nice polo was the idea, that leads you to do well.
-Did you attain your goals?
-I had fun and had a good time. I think we played nice polo. The spectators left the field happy with what they saw, according to what was heard at the end of the matches. Pilará played enjoyable polo and many of the other teams also. I saw many better matches than before.
-Was this due to the changes in the rulebook?
-That helped a lot, and the attitude of the players also. To be penalized for doing “redondillas” or some walking, that helps to make polo swifter.
-Can there be increases or decreases of handicaps in your team or another one?
-I think they owe us an increase from last year. We defeated teams with superior handicaps... so we could receive one or two goals. Hopefully, the two 40-handicap teams will continue to exist, and more teams with higher handicaps. Hilario Ulloa and Santiago Chavanne are better than 8-handicap players, Eduardo Novillo Astrada is a 10-handicap, I think. If there are two 40-handicap teams, fine, and if there are three of 39, even better. This is the best polo in the world and those who play well have to be rewarded.
By Santiago Martella, Argentina Correspondent
