The semifinals and final of the Bronze Cup, the first leg of Polo Challenge 2016, took place last week in Casa de Campo, La Romana and Los Establos, Ciudad Ecuestre
in Cap Cana.
The semifinals and subsidiaries were played on Wednesday, January 27, at Los Establos,
Ciudad Ecuestre. First, La Carbuccia took on Pitirri/Potranca; the close match was defined in
extra chukker when Denny Santana scored the golden goal. The win put Pitirri through to the
subsidiary final. Silvestre “Bete” Donovan was named MVP of the match. The second game
saw another close battle as locals Los Establos faced Casa de Campo. The game ended 13-11
in favour of Casa de Campo, who would then face Pitirri in the subsidiary final. Leo Matos was
named MVP.
The semifinals kicked off on Thursday at Casa de Campo with a game between Agualinda and
Los Samanes. Unfortunately, the latter was not able to take control and Agualinda dominated
the match. Uruguayan David Stirling (MVP) stood out as he led his team to a 10-7 victory and
earned them a place in the final. The second semifinal saw an undefeated Lechuza foursome
overrule Power Infrastructure as they secured a place in the final with a cool 12-6 win. World
class Back Juan Martin Nero was named MVP.
The much anticipated finals of the Bronze Cup were played on Saturday, January 30, at Los
Establos. First, Pitirri/Potranca and Casa de Campo played the subsidiary final; the exciting
match came to a head in the last chukka, with successful attacking plays from both teams.
Bensadon tied the score in the last seconds of the sixth, sending the match into overtime.
Rueda scored the golden goal for Pitirri (12-11) and they claimed the subsidiary cup. Denny
Santana was named MVP.
The Lechuza vs Agualinda final was a thrilling game, though the quality of play was not
reflected in the final score; surprisingly enough, the final saw the least amount of goals
scored in a Bronze Cup game. Lisioli was on point, scoring two spectacular neck shots in the
third chukka. Nero waited until the last chukka to score, as did Victor Vargas, who converted
a penalty to give his team a crucial one goal advantage. Lechuza managed to maintain the
difference and win the game 6-5. David Stirling was named MVP thanks to his relentless
defence and three key goals.
The Polo Challenge will continue Saturday, February 6, at Casa de Campo with the Royal
Salute Charity Cup. The Cup will see three time Argentine Triple Crown champion Adolfo Cambiaso
playing for the first time in the Caribbean – an unmissable event!