Rovers v Lower Hutt
Napier
Central League soccer
HE METICULOUSLY prepares a brew of mate in a leather-covered, pouch-like vessel, pouring boiling water from a thermos flask through the dried herbal concoction before easing into a comfy chair in the lounge of his Napier flat.
"You need to be an alien to play professional league in Argentina," says Ezequiel Dondiz, of Buenos Aires, taking a deep drag on the metallic spoon-like straw to savour Argentina's most popular drink.
"I hope to be an alien in Napier," says the 22-year-old law student, hoping to make his debut for the Grant Hastings-coached Bluewater Napier City Rovers in their Central League soccer match against Lower Hutt City in Park Island, Napier, tomorrow from 2pm.
Dondiz is curious if Hastings will pick him for the first squad after making his debut for the Blues in the Matt Hastings-coached reserves team's 2-0 loss in the ComputerCare Pacific Premiership last Saturday.
"You never like losing but I'm happy I wore the blue shirt for the first time."
The senior Hastings' Rovers are defending champions but received a 5-2 thumping at the hands of Olympic in Wellington in the opening round last Saturday.
"It's up to the coach, whatever he says. If he thinks I'll play then good but if he doesn't then it won't matter because it means I'll just have to do better."
It's that sort of passion and pride that Hastings is yearning for from his troops every time they slip on that blue shirt.
Dondiz's appetite stems from a soccer-mad nation where some of the world's greatest footballers hail from.
"I'm always crazy about football and I've played with passion as a child," explains the tiny midfielder who made his Del Salvador Jesuit (Catholic) school selection team every Saturday before lacing his boots the following day for the Club Univesitario De Buenos Aires club (Cuba).
With four divisions at club level, making the first division is a cut-throat exercise.
Remaining in the lower division, though, enables him to play with his friends, he explains, before running out to bring his Cuba shorts and strip from the clothesline.
Half way through his degree and working as a court administrator in a city where his father, Martin Dondiz is a crown prosecutor, the younger Dondiz felt it was an ideal time to take an overseas holiday.
He arrived in New Zealand three months ago with Nicolas Brandam, Hilario Rebaudi and Tomas Rotman, travelling the length of the country.
Although he had never met him, Dondiz had heard from countryman and 2011 Rovers player Gonzalo Barnes the Napier club was one of the best in New Zealand.
"It's a big challenge and pleasure to play for the Central League champions and the opportunity to play alongside and against some All Whites who have played in the World Cup."
The Argentines had settled in Mt Maunganui but with Rebaudi and Rotman returning home, Dondiz and goalkeeper Brandam stayed.
The keeper is likely to make his debut for Tauranga City's first team this weekend but Dondiz wasn't going to stay in the Bay of Plenty despite Argentines' love of surf, the promise of a packhouse job, a car and the company of other fellow Latin visitors.
"I left all that behind to play here. I did try to get Nico to come with me but he didn't," says the man who pours pints at an Irish pub in Hastings St, Napier.
While he loves dribbling the ball, Dondiz is at pains to emphasise he's a team man who is keen to fit into the equation as a contributor.
"I'm not looking to be a star or anything like that."
His father remains his biggest influence in the beautiful game from the age of 5. He and mother Maria are always on the sidelines when he's playing.
While he admires superstars such as Lionel Messi it's Argentina international Martin Palermo who motivates him most.
"He's the highest goal scorer in club history.
"He's not as talented as Messi but he plays from his heart," he says of Palermo who is often the butt of jokes in Argentina but "always improving" his game.
Dondiz explains how a lanky Palermo's child died one year but he turned up at the club and asked his coach for a game - before scoring two goals.
The Dondiz parents haven't pressured their son to play although his mother often asks him to stop thinking about the ball for a few minutes to pick up his books in the weekends to build a career.
Never having made top-level trials, Dondiz accepts his professional dreams are over.
"In Argentina you have to be 15 or 16 years old at the latest to become a pro."
His eldest brother, Estamislao, 25, a philosophy student, doesn't play soccer.
Octavio, 18, an economics student, is definitely stronger than Dondiz while youngest Ivan, 13, is improving.
A right-footer who can also play on the left wing, Dondiz has been dubbed "Rat" at home because of his ability to shadow players in defence.
It was coach Velaudio Larramendi who impressed on him the need to think more in his box rather than the opposition one.
"When my goal's safe then I can go forward."
Childhood coach Oscar Picolotto taught him to play from the heart.
"He used to say, 'Play until your legs can't walk anymore'."
Family, friends and football seem to have shaped Dondiz's young life.
In his club debut last Saturday, he appreciated the camaraderie of the Blues.
"It's amazing because they don't just have talent but they also have a good team spirit in the changing room."
Having player passion from overseas, Hastings must be wondering what it'll take to inspire his men tomorrow and the rest of the winter.
"The Napier club has a proud history and part to play with pride and passion," he says.
Finding shape out of possession remains a challenge with nine players missing from last year's campaign.
Last Saturday's loss and last winter's 2-1 Chatham Cup defeat at the hands of the Brendan McIntyre-coached Lower Hutt fall in Hastings' category of "two flat games" with 12 months.
Scott Henderson, Fane Morgan and keeper Jonty Underhill will all be making club and/or home debuts.
Having his squad late because of Hawke's Bay United's successful ASB Premiership summer campaign meant Hastings had little time to mould his troops.
"We play a different style from Hawke's Bay United," he says, adding it's complicated with players such as Harley Rodeka (Caversham United, Dunedin), Morgan (Western Rangers) and Henderson (Western Suburbs) coming from varied influences.
Three-hour training sessions on Tuesdays/Thursdays aren't enough time to bed in a new culture and mindset.
No doubt there'll be a couple of personnel changes tomorrow, albeit little ones.
McIntyre, Hastings says, is the best development coach in the country, having recruited secondary school talent to set up an academy in Lower Hutt.
"The boys play like men, not like boys, so you have to earn the right to beat them."
Crestfallen Hastings Boys' players were 'pretty emotional' about the incident, says coach.