Chilean double shot

Football

Chilean stars Jorge de la Torre and Jonatan Almendra will be playing for Wairarapa United in the 2013 Central League football competition and for Heartland Wairarapa next summer if their bid for a place in the national league is successful.

Both players represented Chile under-20s last year and are members of the Deportes Concepcion club side which won their country's second division title last season.

The signings of de la Torre and Almendra came after Heartland Wairarapa board member Jorge Sandoval, best known as a cycling promoter, responded to requests from Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley to source a quality defender and striker from that part of the world.

In de la Torre's case, he is a midfielder whose main attribute is the aggressiveness of his defence.

"From what we have been told, he is a real hard nut who doesn't take any prisoners," Keinzley said. "We needed to stiffen things up at the back and he's the man for that job."

Almendra is seen as the ideal replacement for Paul Ryder, who often partnered Seule Soromon up front last year but is not playing for Wairarapa United in 2013.

A prolific goal scorer, Almendra found the net on 19 occasions for his club last season, including recording all four goals when they scored a 4-1 victory in the second division final.

"It's exciting to think of the damage he and Seule could do. Having two players of that calibre up front has to be a huge plus for us," Keinzley said.

It is anticipated that de la Torre and Almendra will arrive in the Wairarapa on February 28.

Meanwhile, Masterton are playing in the top section of division two in the annual Hilton Petone tournament where they have been drawn against Capital premier division sides University and Olympic, as well as Upper Hutt. They went down 6-2 to University in their opening game last weekend but competed strongly against their higher-rated opposition.