Agustina Albertario and the desire to continue winning with Las Leonas: “We aim to finish at the top of the Pro League”

​Las Leonas closed the 2022 season with duels against the Netherlands and Great Britain for the FIH Pro League. After a great year Augustine Albertarius He opened his notebook with clarionhe reviewed the best of his individual and collective season, and outlined his goals for 2023 where he wants to return as a protagonist with the Argentina national team, where he has remained a point of reference for a young but talented group.

Santiago de Abroad witnessed the team’s last competition Fernando Ferraraa, who lost the two games played against the Dutch (3-1 and 2-0) and won those played against the English (3-0 and 1-0). Those results, added to those obtained in the previous appointment in Mendoza – two wins and two defeats on penalties against Belgium and Germany – allowed him to bring the curtain down on 2022 at the top of the standings, with 8 points.

The opportunity to play international matches had an extra motivation if we take into account that the date was played in Argentina. To keep adding influential factors, it cannot be overlooked that it was within the country, where they don’t play that often, but the support is immense.

“The truth is beautiful to play in the countryside, more inside we hardly ever play, so there is an incredible atmosphere, people support us a lot and make us feel the love”said Albertario, in an exclusive chat with clarion, in what was the inauguration of the Nike store – a brand with which it maintains a sponsorship relationship – in the Unicenter shopping centre, in the northern suburb of Buenos Aires.

At 29, the striker plays a fundamental role within the squad The Lioness, since he is one of the representatives of the establishment. His great experience with the Albiceleste shirt, his career abroad and all the quality he shows every time he enters the field are more than enough guarantees to guide young and less experienced players. He knows that this role carries a great responsibility, but he doesn’t shy away from it and knows the importance of being able to lead and teach by example.

“It’s a responsibility, but a beautiful one. We try to set an example: when it comes to physique, to always go forward, to encourage them, to trust girls who make mistakes because I had to stay on that side and I know you’re afraid of making a mistake. I feel that making mistakes is the best way to learn and they are lucky that in these years we have had to play many international matches and it is the best way to train, so they have to take those matches as something positive, give everything and hold nothing back.”expressed the player trained in Lomas Athletic.

The Lionesses have had a year in which they have collected several important results. They established themselves in the Pro League, with 13 wins in 16 matches, and finished as runners-up at the World Cup in Terrassa, after losing the final 3-1 to the Netherlands.

“It’s a pretty good year. I feel like we had a fantastic World Cup. Obviously there were a couple of things in the final which are no excuse, but we had finished playing at 12pm and Holland had finished playing at 9, we went to bed at 4am and rest is key. They are not excuses, but they are things that add up when you get to the World Cup final, which requires a lot of physicality”Albertario analyzed.

Even if he didn’t hesitate to accept that the European team deserved the title: The Netherlands were superior to us, now we are training and focusing on the upcoming matches against them. Obviously the desire to win, but they are difficult matches”.

The objectives for 2023 are as clear as they are fundamental for the medium term. It’s already beginning to appear on the horizon Paris 2024 and the Pan American Games to be held in Santiago de Chile They will be the access key. Of course, Las Leonas comes from obtaining the silver medal in Tokyo 2020, so the Olympic Games are a competition of great importance, even above the World Cup.

“We aim to finish top of the Pro League. Furthermore, in 2023 we also have the Pan American Games, which are the way to qualify for the Olympic Games”.were the priorities set by Albertario.