The opening two rounds of play in the 2018 Maserati of Santa Barbara USPA America Cup saw four games played between the five competing teams with Klentner Ranch leading the way with a 2-0 record, while Restoration Hardware won their lone game to also remain undefeated at Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club.
The tournament began with a dominating performance from Klentner Ranch as they defeated FMB 12-6 behind 11 combined goals for Mariano Obregon and Jesse Bray, who scored six and five goals respectively. Despite missing just one shot in the opening half, FMB found themselves down two goals at halftime as they committed seven first half fouls. Controlling possession and outshooting their opponents, Klentner Ranch was unable to pull away in the game due to inaccurate 4 for 13 shooting from the field over the first four chukkers. That changed over the final two chukkers, with FMB held to just one penalty goal, while Klentner Ranch converted their final three shot attempts, along with two penalty goals to outscore FMB by five goals and pull away in the game. Led by perfect 4 for 4 penalty shooting from Obregon, Klentner Ranch finished with the convincing six-goal victory to open their tournament.
The second game featured an exceptional defensive performance from Restoration Hardware in the 12-7 victory over Sol de Agosto. Holding their opponents to just one shot in the opening half, Restoration Hardware raced out to an early 7-2 lead, with Sol de Agosto’s only offense coming from the penalty line with Paco de Narvaez converting two of his three attempts. With the team defence from Geronimo Obregon, Ignacio Laprida and Santiago Von Wernich placing pressure on Sol de Agosto throughout the game, it was Laprida and Von Wernich who led the way offensively, combining for five of the seven first half goals. An even second half saw Restoration Hardware maintain their lead due to strong discipline and the inability of Sol de Agosto to convert their chances late in the game. Shooting 27% from the field on 3 for 11 shooting, Sol de Agosto were ultimately unable to make their way back into the game after the slow start, resulting in the 12-7 victory for Restoration Hardware.
The feature game on Sunday came down to the final minutes, with Sol de Agosto’s Adam Snow scoring the winning goal in the 10-9 victory over FMB. Early in the game, foul trouble plagued Sol de Agosto as they committed eight fouls in the first two chukkers, allowing FMB to take the early 5-3 lead. Before the half was over, Sol de Agosto claimed the lead, holding FMB scoreless in the third chukker, while Nico Escobar added two goals from the field to give his team the slim one-goal lead. The remainder of the game saw both teams struggle to find the goal, with FMB and Sol de Agosto shooting 20% and 33% respectively from the field. Trailing by two entering the final chukker, Lucas Criado converted a penalty 3 attempt, while Tomas Alberdi scored an amazing goal from the sideboard to tie the game. Sol de Agosto made their lone shot in the final chukka count with Snow running the ball through the goal to secure the victory for Sol de Agosto as they rebounded from their opening loss to claim their first victory of the tournament.
The final game of the opening two rounds saw Lucchese make their debut in the tournament, with Jeff Hall coming in from his Westchester Cup appearance with USA to join the team. Lucchese came out firing, shooting at goal nine times in the opening two chukkers, but converted just three of their attempts, allowing Klentner Ranch to remain tied in the opening stages of the game thanks to three opening half goals from Remy Muller. An organized Klentner Ranch defence would hold Lucchese to just one goal over the next three chukkers to build a four-goal lead, with Bray and Mariano Obregon anchoring the defensive effort. Three goals from Facundo Obregon in the final chukker wasn’t enough for Lucchese to overcome a 3 for 9 penalty shooting performance, as their missed chances ultimately proved to be the difference in the 10-8 victory for Klentner Ranch.
Maserati of Santa Barbara USPA America Cup Scoring Leaders
| Player | Goals |
| Paco de Narvaez | 10 |
| Jesse Bray | 9 |
| Mariano Obregon | 9 |
| Tomas Alberdi | 7 |
| Facundo Obregon | 6 |
| Inaki Laprida | 6 |
| Nico Escobar | 5 |
| Lucas Criado | 4 |
| Remy Muller | 4 |
| Santiago von Wernich | 3 |
Klentner Ranch vs Lucchese
FMB vs Sol de Agosto
Videos courtesy of Kathy Linfoot
Photo courtesy of polographics.com