Team USPA sends 3 young players to Argentina for a season of training, check back for exclusive updates from Zach Grob, Will Tankard and Jorge Estrada!
Our second game was played in some of the most challenging conditions we had seen during our time here. The wind was at a steady 25 mph with gusts of 35 mph. It was hot, dry and dusty. We played on the toughest field against a very physical team. A father and his two boys accounting for 9 goals of the team and a reckless 3 goaler rounding out their squad.
We started this game with a lot of pressure to win. If we lost, barring a miracle, we would be out of contention for the final. We had to win by more
than three goals in order to make up for the loss in the last game. Knowing that everything was on the line we remained calm and relied on the weeks of
preparation for confidence.
We started out very slow. Trying hard to make perfect plays, to hit nice passes to one another with control and style. But on a choppy field in the wind, the
physical style of our opponent was prevailing. We ended the second chukker tied at two.
Between the second and third chukkers we transitioned to a more open style of play. Instead of trying to slow the game down and make precision passes we
turned to a more physical style. We played more vertical using long passes and big back shots. This put the pressure on the other team and they began to make more and more mistakes.
We ended the third chukker up by two and never slowed from there. While we didn’t play the most proper style of polo we certainly seemed to find a style
that suited the conditions and the opponent. The lesson of the day was not to be stubborn and stick to a strategy that is not working. Instead, be honest
with yourself, accept your mistakes and learn from them. We changed our entire philosophy and saw results immediately. The key was that we all adopted this change in style at once. If we had not, we easily could have been out of contention for the final.
We ended up winning the game with a final score of 9-3. After watching the other games it turned out that all we needed was a win in the next game to ensure a spot in the final.
Our final game in bracket play was the most decisive one for us. If we won we would go through to the final, lose and we would probably have to work the scoreboard for the final. The same went for our counterparts, as they entered this game tied for first place in their bracket needing a win to go through.
We were pitted against what could be the best team from the other bracket. The team named La Hormiga had won its first two games handily, never having trailed or been close to being even with their opposition. They had nice horses and skill at each position, featuring two excellent teenage boys splitting a
position in the front.
From the beginning it was obvious that both teams had come ready to play and wanted the trip to the final. The action was intense with a lot of hard ride
offs and defense, neither team willing to concede any goals. During the game a large and ominous storm cell settled over the field letting out short hard
bursts of rain from heavy black clouds.
Throughout the game we were able to build momentum, but very slowly. For every goal we put in we missed three. Even though we weren’t finishing our plays, it was obvious that we were executing better than our rivals, both offensively and defensively.
The turning point in the game was in the fourth chukker, we were able to make two consecutive goals and keep them scoreless in that period. To finish the fourth, our team mantra was embodied by Zach’s efforts in one play. While making a run to the goal, he played his final approach long and to the left of the goal. Never willing to give up, he made a desperate try to save the ball from going out, and by doing so had to let his horse run full speed into the eucalyptus
trees that surround the field. He crashed into a branch and was knocked off of his horse. He got up, brushed himself off and immediately got back on and kept
playing.
This was our defining victory of the tournament. We played tougher, smarter and faster than a team that was arguably the best in the tournament. Now with a guaranteed spot in the finals our ultimate goal was finally within reach.