By Alex Webbe
The semifinals of the 2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup have been established on the grounds of the International Polo club with Piaget downing Zacara, 10-9 while Coca-Cola earned the right to move on with an 11-10 win over ERG.
Piaget opened the day’s quarterfinal Piaget Gold Cup action by outscoring Zacara 3-1 in the opening chukker. Facundo Pieres got Zacara on the scoreboard with a goal from the field but Jeff Hall responded with three 40-yard penalty shots for Piaget for the early lead.
Piaget picked up the pace in the second chukker, and goals from the field from Gonzalito Pieres and Nico Pieres had Piaget in front, 5-1. A last minute goal from Magoo Laprida cut the lead down to a manageable three goals, 5-2.
Laprida’s second goal of the game opened the third chukker and cut the Piaget lead to two goals, 5-3. A goal from the field from Facundo Pieres less than a minute later saw Zacara behind by a single goal, 5-4. Hall extended the Piaget lead to two goals, 6-4, with a goal from the field. Just over a minute later, Nico Pieres scored to put Piaget on top, 7-4. Laprida cut the lead to two goals, once again, as he converted a penalty shot for a goal. Piaget left the field at the end of the first half with a 7-5 advantage.
The two teams traded goals in the fourth chukker with Gonzalo Pieres and Nico Pieres scoring single goals from the field for Piaget. Zacara responded with a pair of penalty goals from Facundo Pieres. After four chukkers of play, Piaget continued to lead, 9-7.
Both teams battled up and down the field in a choppy fifth chukker. A Piaget foul finally sent Facundo Pieres to the penalty line where he converted the shot for a goal. The chukker ended with Piaget holding on to a 9-8, one goal lead.
A minute-and-a-half into the final chukker, Nico Pieres broke loose and scored a goal to put Piaget on top, 10-8. Zacara continued to press its attack, resulting in a foul and a 40-yard penalty shot that was taken by Facundo Pieres and blocked. Moments later, Facundo Pieres would convert a penalty shot to bring Zacara within a goal of the lead, 10-9, but that would be as close as they would come as Piaget took the game and earned a berth in the semifinals against Valiente II on Thursday at 4pm.
Facundo Pieres led the field with six goals (four on penalty shots). Laprida added three goals in the losing cause.
Nico Pieres and Jeff Hall scored four goals apiece with three of Halls goals coming on penalty shots. Gonzalito Pieres added two goals for the win.
COCA-COLA 11, ERG 10
Coca-Cola captured the fourth semifinal berth Monday afternoon with an 11-10 win over ERG in a game that saw ERG leading until the final seconds of the fourth chukker before giving up the lead to Coca-Cola in the fifth.
Coca–Cola’s Luis Escobar scored the opening goal of the game on a penalty shot followed by a goal from the field from teammate Hilario Ulloa. Agustin Merlos got ERG on the scoreboard with a 40-yard penalty conversion, to trail 2-1.
Second chukker action had the ERG offense running all over Coca-Cola. Agustin Merlos opened with a goal from the field followed by penalty conversion from Escobar. Errant fouls by Coca-Cola had Agustin Merlos converting a pair of penalty goals with Sebastian Merlos authoritatively driving the ball through the goal posts for a 5-3 ERG lead.
Ulloa scored once from the field and added another on a 60-yard penalty shot to tie it up at 5-5. Agustin Merlos added another penalty goal and scored from the field again for a 7-5 ERG halftime lead.
Sebastian got ERG off on the right hoof in the opening seconds of the fourth chukker, taking the opening throw-in and racing directly to the Coca-Cola goal where he drove the ball through the posts for a score, but the team didn’t fare as well as the chukker ran on. Arellano scored on three penalty shots-the last coming in the final seven seconds of the period for an 8-8 tie.
Both defenses tightened in the fifth with goals coming at a premium. Coca-Cola team captain Gillian Johnston finally broke free and scored the go-ahead goal, 9-8. As the period ended, Coca-Cola rode off the field with its first lead since the second chukker.
A minute into the sixth period, Ulloa scored from the field to extend the Coca-Cola lead to two goals, 10-8. Paco de Narvaez responded with a minute later to bring ERG to within a goal at 10-9. Escobar scored his third goal of the game with a goal from the field, and Coca-Cola was ahead by two goals again, 11-9. With ERG trying frantically to catch up, Agustin Merlos scored a goal with under a minute to play and the team struggling to tie it up once again. Time expired as the teams returned to midfield for a final throw-in and Coca-Cola celebrated the 11-10 win and an appointment with Valiente I in the first tournament semifinal on Thursday morning at 10 am.
Agustin Merlos set the pace for Erg with seven goals. Sebastian Merlos added two goals and de Narvaez was credited with one goal on the day.
Ulloa led the Coca-Cola team with four goals. Arellano and Escobar each scored three goals. Johnston scored once in the win.