The third weekend, this would be the end of the tournament for six of the teams competing for the 117th Argentine Open, only two teams would survive another week to vie for the coveted trophy.  Despite my excitement for this crucial time in the tournament I found I hardly had time during the week to think of the coming games, from the sights and sounds of Buenos Aires to the polo in Pilar, there was nary a moment to spare.  Wandering the cobblestone streets, taking in the sights, hurtling along the highways, feasting on Argentine asados, stick and balling and practicing daily.  The moment I truly began to ponder the coming weekend was when I was at the absolutely stunning Ellerstina polo ranch watching some of the Open players prepare themselves and their horses for the matches to come.  For a while, even there, it was difficult to think of the following weekend, I was too busy taking it all in, walking the pony lines under the trees in awe of the spectacular equine athletes, the barns and polo fields that would put many a golf green to shame.  As the players began stick and balling before the 35 goal practice I selected a spot just off the boards, in the shade of  a tree away from the heat of the sun, this was such a peaceful and relaxing setting that I found myself dozing off…I said it was a busy week, no?  When I awoke, I glanced around and much to my surprise I realized I was not the only one who had taken refuge from the sun in this stand of trees, Juan Martin Nero and Pablo MacDonough, of the Ellerstina team, were both behind and beside me preparing for their chukkas and the other players were lined up in front of me awaiting a throw in…this was no time to be sleeping!  During the practice my thoughts went to the tournament, what was to happen?  What teams would survive the weekend? Would there be an upset or would we see another rematch of the powerhouses, La Dolfina and Ellerstina?

Now, going into this weekend of competition there were 4 undefeated teams seeking the trophy, La Dolfina, Pilara, Ellerstina and La Aguada.  The other 4 teams, Chapa Uno, Chapa II, Sao Jose and Alegria were focused on gaining their first victory on this, their last weekend of action.  Every game was to be hotly contested!

Saturday arrived, slightly overcast and cool but it looked as if the sun would crack the clouds and shine down on Palermo.  The first teams to do battle, 30 goal Sao Jose and 35 goal Chapa Uno on field 2.  I arrived early, as I had no other commitments that day, and made my way to the Sao Jose tent to wish Polito good luck.  On the way I bumped into a friend from years ago at the Calgary Polo Club, Benjamin Arraya, whose responsibility it is, this year, to oversee the umpiring at the Open for the Argentine Association, a difficult job to be sure.  We talked for a while, both of the difficulties and responsibilities of umpiring and of the game to come…we both agreed, the game was to be exciting, as Benjamin said “these teams like to run”.  He was correct, from the opening throw-in the teams ran, from end to end they blazed. Chapa Uno hitting a post, Sao Jose recovering, Polito carrying it from the defensive end on the end of his mallet, once, twice, three times, there was no time to wait for the ball touch the ground.  Chapa Uno struck first with a converted safety by Matias MacDonough and defended well with Hilario Ulloa blocking a Sao Jose penalty 2.  The game was intense, both teams were flying, the chukka was almost over and suddenly…a man down…Nico Pieres again…twice he struggled to his feet and twice he slumped to the ground unable to rise.  Everyone was asking what happened, nobody in the stands knew, he had been out in front of the play, all were intently watching Nico and hoping for the best.  Later I was told that Nico had hit heads with one of the horses of Chapa Uno, he left for the hospital to get checked out and did not return to the game.  The 2nd chukka began with Tomas Pieres (Nico’s cousin) taking his place and the team made an adjustment, Tomas went to the #1 position and Polito took Nico’s #2 spot.  Despite the cousins’ and other Sao Jose teammates concern for Nico the game took but a moment to regain it’s former pace.  Tomas, in his first ever Argentine Open action, fit right in and Polito seemed to be a natural at the #2, however the 2nd chukka ended with Chapa Uno holding 3-1 lead.  The 3rd chukka began and Sao Jose was determined, they went down by another as Bautista Heguy converted a penalty and then Polito struck with his 2nd goal from the field and then converted a penalty…wait a second, why was Polito taking the penalty shots?  I discovered later that Jaime Garcia Huidobro was also injured in the game, he was able to continue but perhaps was hampered enough to not attempt the penalties.  Sao Jose was determined and scrapped hard but Chapa Uno seemed to have the upper hand. Matias converted a penalty 2, despite Polito getting a mallet on it, to begin the chukka and the match settled in to a defensive struggle.  Goals became hard to come by, narrow misses from both sides as Tomas picked one of Matias’ shots from the air and Jaime attempted his last penalty but was also blocked.  Juan Ignacio Merlos was having perhaps his best game of the tournament, playing much more aggressively on the day and Chapa Uno took a 7-4 lead into the halftime break.  The game had been so entertaining that I hadn’t noticed how many spectators had arrived, the stands were full and the fences were lined, the busiest day so far.  There was a dull roar of conversation as the game was discussed, it had been an exciting one to that point and people were keen for the 2nd half to begin.  They were not to be disappointed.  Somehow the game was taken up a notch, the intensity increased, aggressive on offense and even more determined on defense but it was now Sao Jose who applied more pressure.  Tomas struck first with his first ever Argentine Open goal and then it was Polito’s turn as he burst from the boards on his mare Azucena, leaving all behind and finished to the applause of the crowd who must have appreciated the effort or the mare or both.  He wasn’t finished however and closed the chukka with 3 more goals, the last coming as the chukka closed with a long pass from Jaime that took a bounce and never saw the ground again as Polito cranked it from the air and through the uprights…what a goal!  The game was now tied at 9, the crowd was delirious!  In the 6th chukka the defense from both squads was frenetic, at one point the ball shot from one opposing team’s mallet to the other’s and back again, never touching the ground, such focus, such speed, such hand-eye coordination!  Sao Jose’s Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade was bruising with huge bumps and strong defense.  Every play was made difficult by outstanding defensive efforts from both teams, finally Matias converts a penalty 4 to end the 6th chukka 10-9 for Chapa Uno.  Between chukkas the crowd is quiet, they seemed almost exhausted themselves and needed a moment to recover from the intensity of the action.  A good idea as the 7th chukka brought more of the same and ended locked at 11.  Midway through the 8th chukka nothing had been decided yet as Polito snuck in a penalty 4 (his 9th goal of the match) along the ground to knot the score at 12 and the crowd was raucous!  Then suddenly, in but a moment, the game turned, Matias with a penalty 2, a goal from the field by Merlos, a converted safety by Matias and another goal in the closing seconds, all for Chapa Uno…16-12 and Chapa Uno had it’s victory.  The crowd applauded the victors and the game and quickly gathered themselves for the match to come on field 1…the first of the weekend’s semi-finals.

The crowd filed into the grand stadium of Palermo under what was now a blue sky and a beautiful day.  The players of 39 goal La Dolfina and 33 goal Pilara were on the field and ready for action, the start having been delayed due to the length of the previous game.  People were eagerly taking their seats, there was much anticipation for this semifinal match, Pilara had performed very well in this tournament and La Dolfina hadn’t seemed like the unstoppable powerhouse it had been in the past.  Some thought Pilara had a chance to pull off the upset, all were eager for the match to begin.  The throw-in, and the game was on.  It started not with as fast a pace as the first game of the day but both teams began by moving the ball well, feeling each other out.  It was Cambiaso, of course, who struck first, he moved the ball around, dribbling, looked for and found open space and unleashed Falta Envido, who pulled away from all those in pursuit, amazing speed, 1-0 La Dolfina.  Pilara undeterred, pressured on offense but narrowly missed a beautiful tail shot to goal.  Now it was Cambiaso’s turn again.  Here he came, directly at the grandstands, Tomas Del Rio moved to position himself on defense and Cambiaso adjusted his line, not the line of the ball mind you, he simply drew his pony behind the defending Del Rio, appealed, and got the umpire’s whistle…along with the whistle’s of the disapproving crowd whom had the benefit of looking down at the game from above, a benefit not afforded the umpires.  2-0 for La Dolfina after Cambiaso converted the penalty.  Cambiaso was asserting himself right from the beginning of the match and was again on the attack, the pressure resulting in a safety which he converted as well.  Now on Cautiva, he again created space and again nobody could keep up, amazing horsepower, Pilara defended but another safety, Cambiaso missed the attempt and Pilara must have breathed a sigh of relief.  Except for the opening moments Pilara had not mounted much of an offense and the first chukka ended with La Dolfina out in front by a score of 3-0.  Between chukkas the crowd continued to file in, most certainly the biggest crowd of the tournament so far.  The 2nd chukka began with Cambiaso’s guile, again with a change of his line for the umpire’s whistle and another converted penalty.  Where was the Pilara team we had seen all tournament?  Every other game they had begun aggressive and running, not so this time.  Cambiaso with the knock in, La Dolfina wasn’t going for the pass, not until Cambiaso had worked it downfield 50-60 yards, then they would break, Lolo got the pass on the boards and took off on Open Jasy, was fouled and Cambiaso converted…Cambiaso 5, Pilara 0.  The game was not fast, not even close, it was a game of control and it was Cambiaso that was controlling it.  Lolo made La Dolfina’s 6th goal and the crowd roars it’s support, that was interesting, much more enthusiastic support for Lolo’s goal.  Was the crowd simply used to the amount of goals from Cambiaso or was this something else?  The 2nd chukka ended 9-1 for La Dolfina.  Pilara managed 2 goals on converted penalties and one from the field in the 3rd but none in the 4th, Cambiaso crushed a penalty 4 that made the crowd ooh and ahh but mostly polite applause for the rest of his goals, perhaps the people were bored by the pace of the game or the difference in score. Halftime arrived with the score 13-4 in favour of La Dolfina.  The crowd was dead silent for much of the 5th, people seemed to be engaged in casual conversation, hardly paying attention, no surprise really, Pilara seemed to have forgotten everything that had worked for them in the previous games of this Open and decided to play in Cambiaso’s style…Why?  How could they beat Cambiaso at his own game?  The score was suggesting they could not.  14-8 for La Dolfina to end the 6th.  In the 7th, Cambiaso carried and passed to Lolo who made a gorgeous neck shot under pressure ahead to where, I believe it was Lucas Montaverde that cleared out a defender and David Sterling who finished for La Dolfina’s 15th, another big cheer.  Mid chukka comes with a running goal from Cambiaso which also got a cheer, perhaps the crowd just wanted to see some movement in a game which had almost none.  Another penalty converted by Cambiaso to polite applause, the 7th ended at 17-8 and the crowd began to leave en masse.  The 8th chukka was not even to finish before the crowd began to file out again, they were bored with the game, the worst of the tournament, marred by many fouls and painfully slow play, the match ended in La Dolfina’s favour 17-11 and was never as close as the final score indicated.

Sunday, another gorgeous day, wisps of cloud paint the sky as the sun blazes bright with a slight breeze that mercifully cools.  I was not early for the match but arrived just on time as I was coming from an extremely enjoyable morning practice in Pilar.  34 goal Alegria vs 34 goal Chappa II.  This match would feature the return of the Heguy brothers, Nachi and Eduardo, whom had missed the last game due to suspension from multiple yellow cards in the first game of the tournament, it would also be the last  for Nachi with Chappa II as he had confirmed he would play with Ellerstina next year.  He will play with the three Pieres brothers, Nico, Gonzalito and Facundo as Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero leave Ellerstina to join Cambiaso’s La Dolfina.  Alegria look to be ready for the match to begin as they are waiting, as a team, at centre for both the umpires and their opponents.  The match began at a slower pace then expected, not as slow as the La Dolfina, Pilara match from the previous day of course but both teams seemed to be feeling each other out. Fred Mannix seemed focused on the day as he picked a pass out the air from teammate Mariano Aguerre and drew a foul on the way to goal.  He followed that with another nice play that drew gasps from the crowd as he followed up Francisco Bensadon (Pancho), carried the ball at speed and had to drag it around the goal post for the score.  Then Fred set up a third goal as he sent a perfectly placed backshot to Francisco De Narvaez h. (Paco) which created another converted penalty and Alegria closed the 2nd chukka leading 5-2.  The 3rd chukka started fast, this pace may be best for Alegria as they seem to have the horses but the experienced Chapa II squad seem to be able to control the pace at times, not slowing the game as La Dolfina had the previous day but not allowing Alegria set the pace they would like.  The game was becoming like two heavyweight fighters standing toe to toe and slugging it out, a style which may have favoured Chapa II, although halftime comes with an Alegria 10-7 lead.  It seemed as if Matias Magrini, participating I believe in his first full Argentine Open, had become more comfortable with each game, perhaps even hastened by the suspension of Nachi and Eduardo in the previous game.  Such a solid player, he was making plays all over the field and worked well with his teammates.  I am sure he and Nachi would leave their opponents remembering who they had played for a few days if only by the bruises from their bumps.  The 2nd half picked up where the first left off, alternating between a blistering pace and bruising defense, a most entertaining game for the spectators, as could be heard from the oohs, aahs and applause.  The 5th chukka ends 11-10 Alegria, Chapa II was not going anywhere, they would fight to the end for a win in this tournament and for Nachi’s last game with the team.  Back and forth the teams battled, the crowd craning their necks as the play went into the deep corners, not wanting to miss a second of the action, the 6th ended at 13-11 with Chappa II having wrestled the lead from Alegria.  Alegria was not about to quit on this game either and the crowd was now on the edge of their collective seats gasping with every bump, oohing as balls were plucked from the air, aahing as the horses blistered down the boards…15-14 as the 7th came to a close.  In the 8th, there goes Mannix carrying the ball on his nearside, Magrini pounding away at him, once, twice, three times he carries the ball and then blasts an incredible nearside tail shot with Magrini all over him…a perfect pass to Paco who finished  to take the lead once again, 16-15 Alegria…wow.  Paco and Eduardo, the #4’s for each team had been absolutely crushing the ball in this game, pounding it back and forth, scoring from impossible distances.  Chapa II ties again and then, as it was in the first game on Saturday, a goal from the field and two more from converted penalties and the game swung in favour of one team late…19-16 Chapa II, they were the victors and the crowds hastened to field one for the 2nd semifinal of the weekend.

Now, back to field 1 for a semifinal match that couldn’t possible disappoint, could it?  36 goal La Aguada vs 40 goal Ellerstina.  La Aguada was 36 goals on this day as Alejandro Novillo Astrada (8 goals) was taking the place of his injured brother Javier (9 goals, ankle injury)…Yes, thats correct, even with an injured player La Aguada was still a team of four brothers, incredible.  Facundo Pieres took the initial throw-in and gave the crowd a glimpse of what may be to come as his pony stretched out and hit full speed, headed directly for goal, La Aguada was there, one step behind which forced Facu to launch a cut shot to goal, too much angle and wide.  Now La Aguada with the knock in…a miss-hit!  Facu pounces on it and Miguel Astrada quickly covers for his mistake by taking the man and driving him into the corner where Facu turned and took out Miguel in kind, leaving the ball for Pablo MacDonough who picked it up and carried it through traffic and the goal for the opening score of the match.  If the play continued in this way, we were in for a heck of a game!  Both of these teams operate with such seamless teamwork and must have the best horses of all the teams when taken as a whole.  The game was noticeably faster than any I had watched to this point, I could hardly look down to my iPhone to type my notes as the action was coming too fast and furious, it seemed any time I looked away there was a noise from the crowd and another brilliant play, how was I to do this?!?  If there was any hint of a difference in the teams at the beginning of the match it may have been that Ellerstina seemed somewhat tight, was the pressure of being the favourites affecting them?  If so it was only noticeable in the occasional topping of the ball, they didn’t seem to be swinging as freely as usual, La Aguada however, in the role of underdog was stroking the ball quite well, they seemed just a touch more relaxed.  Now, I mention this but it was a small difference to be sure and something that Ellerstina was sure to work it’s way out of.  Shortly after the beginning of the 2nd chukka and La Aguada had tied the game at 3 and was mounting another charge which Ellerstina successfully defended, what was to come next was a brilliant example of the game play…Juan Martin Nero took control of the ball, pivoted to the left, dragging the ball with him and exploded up the boards, Alejandro Novillo Astrada and his mount were up to the task as they lit up after him.  Here they came, blistering along the boards, Juanma in front by the slimmest of margins, neither being caught nor leaving Alejandro behind, sprawled along the neck of his horse just tapping the ball ahead out of the reach of his opponent, the crowd leaned forward to watch this amazing display.  Enter Miguel Novillo Astrada, this man stands out on a polo field as one of the coolest cats I have ever seen, he seems unflappable, smoothly he slides into the play as his brother backs off of his pursuit, rides Nero off and calmly makes the nearside back.  I don’t know if I can communicate this properly, these eight players were moving at speeds I will probably never experience on a horse, calmly going about their business…there I was fumbling with taking my notes from the excitement of just watching it…jaw dropping.  They covered every square inch of the turf in this display, for every pass there was someone waiting and sometimes someone intercepting, such was the anticipation of the players.  Moments of this match were like a ping pong game…tok, tok , tok…the teams picking each other off in succession whether the ball be in the air or on the ground, it mattered not!  With this game one well placed pass into open space and a team could be away, too difficult it was for the opponent to recover from any mistake as the horse power was stunning.  Clear evidence of the unbelievable speed of this match was shown as the experienced umpires were not once but twice caught in play that was too fast for even them to anticipate, one sent spinning away atop his mount with a glancing blow from a galloping horse and the other simply having the play racing up to him and would have piled into him had the horses not had such great handle as well.  In this way the game went until halftime, when the bell went Ellerstina had the slimmest of leads, 8-7.  The 2nd half began and perhaps Ellerstina had finally relaxed into the game as the only difference in play that I could perceive was that Ellerstina finally had started to hit the ball a little more cleanly.  This may have been the subtle shift in play needed to create some kind of separation between the teams and Ellerstina extended their lead in the 6th chukka to 12-8.  Really there were too many dazzling plays and fantastic horses to mention, I feel as if I am already writing a book not a blog.  I did not want this match to end…this was a beautiful game.  Alas, end it did as Ellerstina came out the victors with a score of 14-11.  The crowd applauded the effort and display by both teams and as each team rode to their pony lines the fan sections of  each exploded with support, this game was much appreciated by all.  We can only hope the final next Saturday is as good…could we be so lucky?

I have to say, I think one of the most special features of this tournament (besides the level of polo) is the accessibility afforded the fans, I mean, you can walk out onto the pitch after the game and go to the teams tents to see the players and view their horses as they are cared for after the game.  You should have seen the kids pouring onto the field with their foot mallets to visualize themselves as future open stars…so special. After the games spectators and players alike all convene under the main stands and socialize over food and drink, often becoming quite a party.  Each team has a booth and you can see people getting autographs and just chatting with the best polo players in the world.  Amazing.  If ever you have the opportunity to witness this tournament, I strongly suggest you take it, you will not forget it.

One more game to go…Ellerstina vs La Dolfina…check in next week…I’ll be blogging again.

Chau for now!

Dylan Foster