Friendships put aside as striker seeks goals

Southern United striker Omar Guardiola (23) heads the ball at Tahuna Park as he prepares for...
Southern United striker Omar Guardiola (23) heads the ball at Tahuna Park as he prepares for tomorrow’s national football league match against Tasman United. Photo: Linda Robertson
Playing your mates is always interesting, although Omar Guardiola is treating  tomorrow’s encounter as just another game.

Having spent seven years in the Tasman region, the Southern United striker is very familiar with the Tasman United side he will come up against at Sunnyvale Park.

Indeed, it is something the 23-year-old has already done, when the teams drew 2-2 in Nelson earlier in the season.

However, while he was excited  about  the game, his friends would be no more than players he wanted to beat once he was on the field.

"Yeah, I’m looking forward to playing against the boys, but it’s just another game I guess.

"I’m looking forward to playing in front of the crowd at home, to playing at home again.

"When I play football, I just play to win.

"They’re my friends, but when I’m in my team I just like to win and I let my friendship go out the window when I’m there.

"Like they’re my friends, but when it comes to the game they’re just someone in the way that I want to beat."

Guardiola arrived in Dunedin last year, having being approached by Southern coach Paul O’Reilly.

He was enjoying his time in the South and was pleased with the chance to play  in the national league, having tried to make a team for the past three seasons.

A creative attacker, he has provided Southern United with some added flair.

Originally from Colombia,  Guardiola arrived in New Zealand 10 years ago.  His father  had come here with a Kiwi woman.

While he had spent the majority of his time in the Tasman region, he had also had stints in Wellington and Wairarapa.

He played for both Tasman United and Wairarapa in the national youth league, as well as for winter clubs in all three centres. It had taken him a bit of adjusting to get used to the football in New Zealand, although he enjoyed it now.

He felt the game was faster and more skilful in Colombia, although more physical in New Zealand.

The move to New Zealand was one he was happy with, as he felt it had given him more opportunities and a more relaxed lifestyle than in Colombia.

However,  it came with its challenges. The biggest had been not seeing his mother for 11 years.

While he still spoke to her most days, it was not the same as seeing her.

He planned to return to see her this year.

"It’s been pretty tough — your mum’s love, you know how it is.

"You always miss your mum, you always want your mum, you always want to see your mum. So not having her next to me for 11 years is pretty hard."

Guardiola is not the only player with Tasman links in the line-up.

New signing Alex Ridsdale — who comes to Southern from Tasman United — is also in the squad, while Kristian Gibson played the winter season in Tasman.

Southern will be without Garbhan Coughlan, while Danny Furlong and Conor O’Keeffe are  both under an injury cloud.

 

National football league

Southern v Tasman
Sunnyvale Park, tomorrow, 2pm

Southern Utd: Liam Little, Conor O’Keeffe, Tom Connor, Kristian Gibson, Stephen Last, Danny Ledwith, Omar Guardiola, Jared Grove, Danny Furlong, Tim McLennan, Tom Stevens, Hamish Cotter, Roland Bala, Sam Carmichael, Alex Ridsdale, Ben Wade.

Tasman Utd: Corey Wilson, Luca Perico, Cameron Lindsay, Mark Johnston, Brian Kaltak, Ryan Stewart, Paul Ifill, Maksym Kowal, Kieran Smith, Alex Ridsdale, Cory Chettleburgh, Robbie Pearson, Daniel Allan, Alex Britton, Yousif Ali Al-Kalisy, Abdulla Al-Kalisy, Sam Ayers.

Add a Comment