After a classic encounter between Spain and Belgium in the opening men’s FIH Pro League match, eyes will turn to the opening match of the women’s competition as the Belgium Red Panthers travel to Argentina to take on the mighty Las Leonas – and their thousands of adoring fans.
The Belgium side is the lowest ranked team in the tournament standing at 13 in the FIH Hero World Rankings but Argentina, who are fourth in the world, will not be taking anything for granted. We caught up with Argentina’s precocious goal-scoring talent Delfina Merino to get her thoughts on the encounter.
“After we finished the Hockey Champions Trophy in November (where Argentina won the bronze medal), we all had some time off. It had been a very long year, so we were all able to spend time with our families and we regrouped on 14 January,” says Merino, adding, “Of course, we did our own personal training throughout that time as well.”
Argentina have a new but familiar face at their helm as Carlos Retegui has returned to take over as Head Coach, replacing Agustin Corradini. Retegui has a proud record of success with Las Leonas, his most recent triumph was bronze at the 2014 Women’s World Cup. That year he achieved the unique distinction of leading both the men’s and the women’s team to bronze, coaching both sides as the tournament ran simultaneously in the Hague in the Netherlands.
Although he is returning after an absence of four years, Merino says she will quickly get used to Retegui’s coaching methods because he was her coach from 2009 until 2014. Others in the squad will also have been coached by the mercurial coach so the change shouldn’t be too un-settling. And Retegui also brings that undefinable but seductive aura of success – he led Argentina men to Olympic gold in 2016 – so there is a palpable air of expectation following his return.
“I know what he [Retegui] wants and what he expects of us as players and as a team,” says Merino. “He is really passionate about what he does and I enjoy being coached in that way.”
Excitement is really building as the match gets closer. Argentina is a country that is passionate about its hockey and the stands at Estadio Hockey in Cordoba will be ringing to a cacophony of cheers as the teams make their way onto the pitch. “To have our first Pro League game in our country is really good,” says the Argentina captain. “We don’t have many internationals in our country so this is a great chance for people to come and watch us play. We are all really excited about it.”
Of course, the format of the FIH Pro League is very different to anything the participating nations have experienced before at international level. Merino concedes that the players will have to get used to the different pressures. International hockey normal consists of teams preparing for an intensive 10 day tournament; with the Pro League players need to be ready for matches at regular intervals over a six months period. And there will be a lot of travel to cope with.
“Yes, of course, the Pro League is totally new so we will see how we feel and how the team adapts to the demands," says Merino. "The teams that find the best ways to deal with the flights and trips are likely to be the most successful.
“When it comes to training we couldn’t have done much more in preparing. We will be a fast and solid team, and we are still working to improve all the time, but we are taking things step by step, we know where we want to get to.”
The first of those steps is an encounter with Belgium. They are a side for who Merino has a lot of respect. “Belgium play a really good European-style game and they are a side that is really growing, so they will be good to play against.
And is she expecting to get off to a winning start? “We have some really great players and we are all passionate about playing hockey and winning. You will see that when we take to the field.”
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